THE
HVSBAND MANS
FRVITEFVLL ORCHARD.
For the true ordering of all sorts of
Fruits in their due seasons; and how double
increase commeth by care in gathering
yeere after yeare: as also the best way
of carriage by land or by water:
With their preseruation for
longest continuance.
Cherries. Of all stone Fruit, Cherries are the first to be gathered: of which, though we reckon foure sorts; English, Flemish, Gascoyne and [Blacke], yet are they reduced to two, the early, and the ordinary: the earely are those whose grafts came first from France and Flanders, and are now ripe with vs in May: the ordinary is our owne naturall Cherry, and is not ripe before Iune; they must be carefully kept from Birds, either with nets, noise, or other industry.
Gathering of Cheries. They are not all ripe at once, nor may be gathered at once, therefore with a light Ladder, made to stand of it selfe, without hurting the boughes, mount to the tree, and with a gathering hooke, gather those which be full ripe, and put them into your Cherry-pot, or Kybzey hanging by your side, or vpon any bough you please, and be sure to breake no stalke, but that the cherry hangs by; and pull them gently, lay them downe tenderly, and handle them as little as you can.
To carry Cherries. For the conueyance or portage of Cherries, they are best to be carried in broad Baskets like siues, with smooth yeelding bottomes, onely two broad laths going along the bottome: and if you doe [transport] them by ship, or boate, let not the siues be fil'd to the top, lest setting one vpon another, you bruise and hurt the Cherries: if you carry by horse-backe, then panniers well lined with Fearne, and packt full and close is the best and safest way.
Other stone-fruit. Now for the gathering of all other stone-fruite, as [Nectarines], Apricockes, Peaches, Peare-plumbes, Damsons, Bullas, and such like, although in their seuerall kinds, they seeme not to be ripe at once on one tree: yet when any is ready to drop from the tree, though the other seeme hard, yet they may also be gathered, for they haue receiued the full substance the tree can giue them; and therefore the day being faire, and the dew drawne away; set vp your Ladder, and as you gathered your Cherries, so gather them: onely in the bottomes of your large siues, where you part them, you shall lay Nettles, and likewise in the top, for that will ripen those that are most vnready.
Gathering of Peares. In gathering of Peares are three things obserued; to gather for expence, for transportation, or to sell to the Apothecary. If for expence, and your owne vse, then gather them as soone as they change, and are as it were halfe ripe, and no more but those which are changed, letting the rest hang till they change also: for thus they will ripen kindely, and not rot so soone, as if they were full ripe at the gathering. But if your Peares be to be transported farre either by Land or Water, then pull one from the tree, and cut it in the middest, and if you finde it hollow about the choare, and the kernell a large space to lye in: although no Peare be ready to drop from the tree, yet then they may be gathered, and then laying them on a heape one vpon another, as of necessity they must be for transportation, they will ripen of themselues, and eate kindly: but gathered before, they will wither, shrinke and eate rough, losing not onely their taste, but beauty.
Now for the manner of gathering; albeit some climb into the trees by the boughes, and some by Ladder, yet both is amisse: the best way is with the Ladder before spoken of, which standeth of it selfe, with a basket and a line, which being full, you must gently let downe, and keeping the string still in your hand, being emptied, draw it vp againe, and so finish your labour, without troubling your selfe, or hurting the tree.
Gathering of Apples. Now touching the gathering of Apples, it is to be done according to the ripening of the fruite; your Summer apples first, and the Winter after.