For Summer fruit, when it is ripe, some will drop from the tree, and birds will be picking at them: But if you cut one of the greenest, and finde it as was shew'd you before of the Peare: then you may gather them, and in the house they will come to their ripenesse and perfection. For your Winter fruit, you shall know the ripenesse by the obseruation before shewed; but it must be gathered in a faire, Sunny, and dry day, in the waine of the Moone, and no Wind in the East, also after the deaw is gone away: for the least wet or moysture will make them subiect to rot and mildew: also you must haue an apron to gather in, and to empty into the great baskets, and a hooke to draw the boughes vnto you, which you cannot reach with your hands at ease: the apron is to be an Ell euery way, loopt vp to your girdle, so as it may serue for either hand without any trouble: and when it is full, vnloose one of your loopes, and empty it gently into the great basket, for in throwing them downe roughly, their owne stalkes may pricke them; and those which are prickt, will euer rot. Againe, you must gather your fruit cleane without leaues or brunts, because the one hurts the tree, for euery brunt would be a stalke for fruit to grow vpon: the other hurts the fruit by bruising, and pricking it as it is layd together, and there is nothing sooner rotteth fruit, then the greene and withered leaues lying amongst them; neither must you gather them without any stalke at all: for such fruit will begin to rot where the stalke stood.
To vse the fallings. For such fruit as falleth from the trees, and are not gathered, they must not be layd with the gathered fruit: and of fallings there are two sorts, one that fals through ripenesse, and they are best, and may be kept to bake or roast; the other windfals, and before they are ripe, and they must be spent as they are gathered, or else they will wither and come to nothing: and therefore it is not good by any meanes to beate downe fruit with Poales, or to carrie them in Carts loose and iogging or in sacks where they may be bruised.
Carriage of fruit. When your fruit is gathered, you shall lay them in deepe Baskets of Wicker, which shall containe foure or sixe bushels, and so betweene two men, carry them to your Apple-Loft, and in shooting or laying them downe, be very carefull that it be done with all gentlenesse, and leasure, laying euery sort of fruit seuerall by it selfe: but if there be want of roome hauing so many sorts that you cannot lay them seuerally, then such some fruite as is neerest in taste and colour, and of Winter fruit, such as will taste alike, may if need require, be laid together, and in time you may separate them, as shall bee shewed hereafter. But if your fruit be gathered faire from your Apple-Loft, them must the bottomes of your Baskets be lined with greene Ferne, and draw the stuborne ends of the same through the Basket, that none but the soft leafe may touch the fruit, and likewise couer the tops of the Baskets with Ferne also, and draw small cord ouer it, that the Ferne may not fall away, nor the fruit scatter out, or iogge vp and downe: and thus you may carry fruit by Land or by Water, by Boat, or Cart, as farre as you please: and the Ferne doth not onely keepe them from bruising, but also ripens them, especially Peares. When your fruit is brought to your Apple-Loft or store house, if you finde them not ripened enough, then lay them in thicker heapes vpon Fearne, and couer them with Ferne also: and when they are neere ripe, then vncouer them, and make the heapes thinner, so as the ayre may passe thorow them: and if you will not hasten the ripening of them, then lay them on the boords without any Fearne at all. Now for Winter, or long lasting Peares, they may be packt either in Ferne or Straw, and carried whither you please; and being come to the iourneys end must be laid vpon sweet straw; but beware the roome be not too warme, nor windie, and too cold, for both are hurtfull: but in a temperate place, where they may haue ayre, but not too much.
Of Wardens. Wardens are to be gathered, carried, packt, and laid as Winter Peares are.
Of Medlers. Medlers are to be gathered about Michaelmas, after a frost hath toucht them; at which time they are in their full growth, and will then be dropping from the tree, but neuer ripe vpon the tree. When they are gathered, they must be laid in a basket, siue, barrell, or any such caske, and wrapt about with woollen cloths, vnder, ouer, and on all sides, and also some waight laid vpon them, with a boord betweene: for except they be brought into a heat, they will neuer ripen kindly or taste well.
Now when they haue laine till you thinke some of them be ripe, the ripest, still as they ripen, must be taken from the rest: therefore powre them out into another siue or basket leasurely, that so you may well finde them that be ripest, letting the hard one fall into the other basket, and those which be ripe laid aside: the other that be halfe ripe, seuer also into a third siue or basket: for if the ripe and halfe ripe be kept together, the one will be mouldy, before the other be ripe: And thus doe, till all be throughly ripe.
Of Quinces. Quinces should not be laid with other fruite; for the sent is offensiue both to other fruite, and to those that keepe the fruite or come amongst them: therefore lay them by themselues vpon sweet strawe, where they may haue ayre enough: they must be packt like Medlers, and gathered with Medlers.
To packe Apples. Apples must be packt in Wheat or Rye-straw, and in maunds or baskets lyned with the same, and being gently handled, will ripen with such packing and lying together. If seuerall sorts of apples be packt in one maund or basket, then betweene euery sort, lay sweet strawe of a pretty thicknesse.
Emptying and laying apples. Apples must not be powred out, but with care and leasure: first, the straw pickt cleane from them, and then gently take out euery seuerall sort, and place them by themselues: but if for want of roome you mixe the sorts together, then lay those together that are of equall lasting; but if they haue all one taste, then they need no separation. Apples that are not of the like colours should not be laid together, and if any such be mingled, let it be amended, and those which are first ripe, let them be first spent; and to that end, lay those apples together, that are of one time ripening: and thus you must vse Pippins also, yet will they endure bruises better then other fruit, and whilst they are greene will heale one another.
Difference in Fruit. Pippins though they grow of one tree, and in one ground, yet some will last better then other some, and some will bee bigger then others of the same kinde, according as they haue more or lesse of the Sunne, or more or lesse of the droppings of the trees or vpper branches: therefore let euery one make most of that fruite which is fairest, and longest lasting. Againe, the largenesse and goodnesse of fruite consists in the age of the tree: for as the tree increaseth, so the fruite increaseth in bignesse, beauty, taste, and firmnesse: and otherwise, as it decreaseth.