Ripening

“ The ripening may be hastened by placing the fruit in a gently warmed room, or on hot water pipes in a greenhouse. "Sorts dry and tough carefully ripened in warm drawers or on the shelves of a warm cupboard become deliciously melting and rich. ”

“ The ripening process, which means the development and maturing of the seeds, produces a heavy strain upon the growing plant, the life and yield of the plant being in proportion to the number of fruits which are allowed to ripen. If no fruits are allowed to come to maturity the plants will remain green and in an active vegetative condition longer and will produce a much larger aggregate number of fruits. ”

“ Keeping earliness and high flavor in view, I would next recommend the Black Defiance. It is not remarkably productive on many soils, but the fruit is so delicious that it well deserves a place. The Duchess and Bidwell follow in the order of ripening. On my grounds they have always made enormous plants, and yielded an abundance of good-flavored berries. The Downing is early to medium in the season of ripening, and should be in every collection. ”

“ A third operation, the removal of the larger leaves, when the grape has attained almost its full size, has, besides the above, another object in view, which is, the exposure of the bunches to the ripening influence of the sun's rays. This is only necessary, or advantageous, in colder climates, it being seen above, that it is in some cases advantageous to ripen the grapes in the shade. ”

“ Fruit ripening about the 1st of October, on stout puberulous or villose pedicels, in drooping or erect few-fruited clusters, obovoid or short-oblong, dull dark red, marked by small pale dots, usually slightly villose or pubescent at the ends, 2⁄3′ long, and 1⁄2′ in diameter; calyx enlarged, with erect, coarsely glandular-serrate, incurved lobes often deciduous before the ripening of the fruit; flesh thick, dry and mealy; nutlets usually 5, thin, light brown, irregularly grooved on the back with a broad shallow groove, 1⁄4′ long. ”

“ But there is greater diversity in the time of fruiting; as we said before, the times of ripening do not correspond to those of budding, but there are wide differences. For even in the case of those trees which are somewhat late in fruiting,—which some say take a year to ripen their fruit—such as Phoenician cedar and kermes-oak, the budding nevertheless takes place in the spring. ”

“ If newly-cut slices turn color on exposure, the ripening is not complete; but if they remain some time unaltered, or turn only slightly reddish, they are sufficiently ripe to be taken up. The crop should be harvested in fine, dry weather. ”

“ There are also other causes than the seasonal differences in grape regions for variability in ripening time; thus, some soils are warmer and quicker than others, and on these grapes ripen earlier. Application of nitrogenous fertilizers may delay the period of ripening somewhat. Grapes ripen perceptibly earlier on old plants than on young ones. Lastly, every vineyard in a particular region has its own particular climate caused by the lay of land, nearness to water, air currents and altitude which cause small differences in ripening. ”

“ My advice is to select early ripening varieties, for then you will only have the possible spring frost to contend with, and that is easy to guard against.
Do not fail to adopt some system of pruning, for that is the most essential part of the secret to grow good grapes. Other necessary information will no doubt be furnished by any reliable nurseryman with whom you are dealing. I wish to say in conclusion that so far I have had no trouble from any insects attacking the vines or fruit, and I have always been able to produce fruit that commands the first premium wherever exhibited. ”

“ According to variety, they are set three to five feet apart—four feet, where staking or trellising is given, as it should always be in garden culture, will be as much as the largest- growing plants require. It will pay well, both for quality and quantity of fruit, to keep most of the suckers cut or rubbed off. The ripening of a few fruits may be hastened by tying paper bags over the bunches, or by picking and ripening on a board in the hot sun. ”

“ Fruit produced. To ripen eminently large fruit, he directs the removal or destruction of suckers; to retard the progress of fruit that have appeared too early, he shifts in Nicol’s manner; and when fruit is ripening too fast, or too many advancing to a ripe state together, he retards a part of the plants by setting them into a dry airy place, affording both shade and shelter. ”

“ The tomatoes are getting tired of ripening, and are beginning to go into a worthless condition,—green. The cucumbers cumber the ground,—great yellow, over-ripe objects, no more to be compared to the crisp beauty of their youth than is the fat swine of the sty to the clean little pig. The nutmeg-melons, having covered themselves with delicate lace-work, are now ready to leave the vine. I know they are ripe if they come easily off the stem.
Moral Observations.—You can tell when people are ripe by their willingness to let go. Richness and ripeness are not exactly the same. ”

“ The full ripening of the seeds of some cultivated varieties of vegetables, and also the drying of the seeds severely without artificial heat, are found to have considerable influence upon the germination of the seeds, and even some impression upon the character of the resulting plant. ”

“ Fruit ripening late in October or in November, on slender pedicels about 1⁄2′ long, in few-fruited drooping clusters, short-oblong, green tinged with dull red, 1⁄3′ long, with only slightly enlarged erect and incurved calyx-lobes mostly deciduous before the fruit ripens; flesh thin, green, dry and hard; nutlets 2 or 3, with a high rounded ridge, 1⁄4′ long. ”

“ They attain their full growth in about six weeks after the first pruning, and begin to turn brown—an evidence of ripening. As fast as they ripen they are cut and gathered into the barns or drying-houses. ”

“ The time of ripening I have set down for the latitude of Indianapolis. Upon the Ohio River, near Cincinnati, it will be ten days earlier.
AUTUMN APPLES.
10. Maiden’s Blush.—Tree moderately spreading, open top, limbs slender; grows late in fall, and somewhat liable to winter-killing; grows well on all good soils; bears young and very abundantly every year. The fruit large when the tree is not allowed to ripen too large a crop; white, and blush toward the sun; tender, melting, very juicy, decidedly acid. The fruit is, even in unfavorable seasons, very free from cracks, knots, and is always fair ”

“ My readers will perceive, that Fall-pruning, or shortening-in the ripened wood of the vine, and summer-pruning, shortening in and thinning out the young growth, have one and all the same object in view, namely, to keep the vine within proper bounds, and concentrate all its energies for a two-fold object, namely, the production and ripening of the most perfect fruit, and the production of strong, healthy wood for the coming season's crop. ”

“ The wild forms shed their seeds much more readily than the cultivated ones, and are, besides, earlier in ripening, and thus much of our wild seed had dropped before the other forms were fully ripe; and it much assists experiments in transmutation not to let the seeds with which they are to be carried on become dead ripe. This is another cultivative process. ”

“ The period of ripening in fruit will be accelerated by an abundant foliage, and retarded by a scanty foliage.” These general propositions he considered applicable to all cases, and particularly to the vine. If correct, then the severe summer pruning of the grape vine is wrong. “It is a mistake,” he adds, “to imagine that the sun must shine on the bunches of grapes in order to ripen them. Nature intended no such thing. On the contrary, it is evident that vines naturally bear their fruit in such a way as to screen it from the sun ”

“ Another planter observes that “when a plant begins to ripen, it will gradually assume a ‘piebald’ or spotted appearance. As the ripening advances, the spots will become more distinct and individualized. When the spots can be distinguished at the distance of 10 steps, and the leaves of the plant turn down, become stiff to the touch, and their ends curl under, the plant is ripe, and should be cut. From the moment it has arrived at maturity, it begins to decay. Remember that all the plants in your crop are to be hung after they are cut—hung 73on something, and by something. ”

“ Those who are anxious to commence budding early in the season, prepare the scions they expect to use, by pinching the ends and cutting off a portion of the leaves; the effect of this check to the wood growth is to hasten the ripening or development of the buds, which rapidly swell, preparatory to breaking, in their attempt to reproduce the foliage that had been removed. ”

“ Fruit mid-season, ripening period of average length; one and three-quarters inches by one and five-eighths inches in size, broadly oblong-oval or obovate, compressed, halves unequal; cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt; suture variable in depth; apex roundish or depressed; color dark reddish-purple changing to purplish-black on the sunny side, overspread with thick bloom; dots numerous, light russet; stem three-quarters inch long, pubescent, adhering well to the fruit; skin below medium in thickness, tough, sour, separating readily; flesh pale yellow, lacking in juice, firm, sour unless fully ripe ”

“ Setting the bloom, as it is called, is not only useless, but is a mischievous procedure. It results in the enlargement of one end of the fruit, and ruins its appearance. If seed be the object, of course the process is justifiable; but for the table a ‘bottle nose’ cannot be regarded as an ornament. Besides, the ripening of seed in a single fruit will materially diminish the usefulness of the plant, and perhaps entirely end its career. Stopping the vine is a necessity, but it should not be done too soon. ”

“ Fruit ripening from August to October, elongated, ellipsoidal, hexagonal, 3′—4′ long, 11⁄4′—11⁄2′ thick, light green when fully grown, and in ripening turning dark purple, the outer and inner coats forming a thick succulent mass of bitter-sweet juicy flesh, finally becoming black and drying on its stalk ”

“ Moreover, unripe corn may to a certain extent be matured in stack, whilst a great improvement in germinative capacity is frequently produced by sweating. Very wet seasons are prejudicial to the ripening of the grain, and when the latter is stacked in too moist a condition it is apt to become what is known as mow burnt. ”

“ Permit a long cane to bear throughout its natural length, and you will note that many buds near the ground remain dormant or make a feeble growth. The sap, following a general law of nature, pushes to the extremities, and is, moreover, too much diffused. Cut away one-third, and all the buds start with redoubled vigor, while more and larger fruit is the result. If, however, earliness in ripening is the chief consideration, as it often is, especially with the market-gardener, leave the canes unpruned, and the fruit ripens a few days sooner. ”

“ It is not unusual to find the grapes reach thirty degrees in favored localities and in favorable seasons. Only inexperienced vineyardists will require the aid of the saccharometer to determine the state of ripening of the grapes; the more experienced judge by taste and color.
The taste of course is the most commonly used method for ascertaining the ripeness of the raisin grapes. Every grower experienced or not should examine his grapes repeatedly. To give directions for tasting the ripeness of the grapes is of course impossible; it must be learned, and can only be learned by practice. ”

“ It is always desirable that the ripening be as even as possible and that there be no green and hard spots either at the surface or in the flesh, but often perfection in this respect is correlated with such lack of size and solidity as to counterbalance it. ”

“ From what has already been said with regard to the process of ripening of fruits in the natural way upon the tree, it will be understood that we must gather some kinds before they have reached their perfect condition of maturity. ”

“ We know that variations in the time of ripening do occur, and experiments have shown [12] that even unripe seeds will germinate and produce strong, healthy plants. In view of these facts it seems reasonable to suppose that not only might there arise varieties in which the capsule would retain something of its succulence until the seeds were nearly ripe, but if the fruit in this condition were eaten by birds or other animals the seeds might be disseminated by them, much to the benefit of the favored variety. ”

“ What is required then is not to cut away the leaves and branches to let the sun-light in upon the grapes, but to so thin out the shoots in the spring that the foliage shall be well exposed to the full light of the sun, and if the whole crop of leaves is allowed to remain that is thus exposed to the sun, the preparation of the matter for the nutrition of the fruit will be more rapid, and hence the ripening of the fruit accelerated. Hence if the winter and spring pruning has been properly done there will be no necessity for any summer pruning whatever. ”

“ It is proved that a dry atmosphere and porous soil produces very fine flavored fruit and that in this climate, also, the fruit “colors” up better and makes a much better appearance than that grown in a colder and less sunny climate. But one strong hold on the fruit industry lies in our geographical position as regards the ripening season, which brings our fruit into market, out of competition with any other section. This fact was proved by our shipments last season. ”