The harvest comes in October, a convenient season where there are fruit
crops to be taken care of. The process is extremely simple, being little
more than an old-fashioned "nut gathering." When ripe, the nuts fall to
the ground, shedding their hulls on the way. They are picked up by boys,
girls, men and women.
During the harvest three or four rounds must be made through the grove,
perhaps a week elapsing between trips, each time slightly shaking the
trees to make the ripe nuts fall. On the last round, a padded mallet
with a long handle is used to dislodge the remaining nuts. The expense
of harvesting is slight, five or six people being sufficient to care for
a fifty-acre grove.