Part 13 (2/2)

{SN: 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.

{SN: 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.

{SN: 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.

{SN: 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.

{SN: Transporting fruit by water.} If you be to transport your fruit farre by water, then prouide some dry hogges-heads or barrells, and packe in your apples, one by one with your hand, that no empty place may be left, to occasion sogging; and you must line your vessell at both ends with fine sweet straw; but not the sides, to auoid heat: and you must bore a dozen holes at either end, to receiue ayre so much the better; and by no meanes let them take wet. Some vse, that transport beyond seas, to shut the fruite vnder hatches vpon straw: but it is not so good, if caske may be gotten.

{SN: When not to transport fruit.} It is not good to transport fruite in _March_, when the wind blowes bitterly, nor in frosty weather, neither in the extreme heate of Summer.

{SN: To conuay small store of fruit.} If the quant.i.ty be small you would carry, then you may carry them in Dossers or Panniers, prouided they be euer filled close, and that Cherries and Peares be lined with greene Fearne, and Apples with sweete straw; and that, but at the bottomes and tops, not on the sides.

{SN: Roomes for fruite.} Winter fruite must lye neither too hot, nor too cold; too close, nor too open: for all are offensiue. A lowe roome or Cellar that is sweet, and either boorded or paued, and not too close, is good, from _Christmas_ till _March_: and roomes that are seeled ouer head, and from the ground, are good from _March_ till _May_: then the Cellar againe, from _May_ till _Michaelmas_. The apple loft would be seeled or boorded, which if it want, take the longest Rye-straw, and raise it against the walles, to make a fence as high as the fruite lyeth; and let it be no thicker then to keepe the fruite from the wall, which being moyst, may doe hurt, or if not moist, then the dust is offensiue.

{SN: Sorting of Fruit.} There are some fruite which will last but vntill _Allhallontide_: they must be laid by themselues; then those which will last till _Christmas_, by themselues: then those which will last till it be _Candlemas_, by themselues: those that will last till _Shrouetide_, by themselues: and Pippins, Apple-Iohns, Peare-maines, and Winter-Russettings, which will last all the yeere by themselues.

Now if you spy any rotten fruite in your heapes, pick them out, and with a Trey for the purpose, see you turne the heapes ouer, and leaue not a tainted Apple in them, diuiding the hardest by themselues, and the broken skinned by themselues to be first spent, and the rotten ones to be cast away; and euer as you turne them, and picke them, vnder-lay them with fresh straw: thus shall you keepe them safe for your vse, which otherwise would rot suddenly.

{SN: Times of stirring fruit.} Pippins, Iohn Apples, Peare maines, and such like long lasting fruit, need not to be turned till the weeke before _Christmas_, vnlesse they be mixt with other of a riper kind, or that the fallings be also with them, or much of the first straw left amongst them: the next time of turning is at _Shroue-tide_, and after that, once a moneth till _Whitson-tide_; and after that, once a fortnight; and euer in the turning, lay your heapes lower and lower, and your straw very thinne: prouided you doe none of this labour in any great frost, except it be in a close Celler.

At euery thawe, all fruit is moyst, and then they must not be touched: neither in rainy weather, for then they will be danke also: and therefore at such seasons it is good to set open your windowes, and doores, that the ayre may haue free pa.s.sage to dry them, as at nine of the clocke in the fore-noone in Winter; and at sixe in the fore-noone, and at eight at night in Summer: onely in _March_, open not your windowes at all.

All lasting fruite, after the middest of _May_, beginne to wither, because then they waxe dry, and the moisture gone, which made them looke plumpe: they must needes wither, and be smaller; and nature decaying, they must needes rot. And thus much touching the ordering of fruites.

_FINIS._

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