Discus.sioii on Gold Sto7'age of Fruits. 35 



3Ir. Plumb, of AViseonsin — What amount of moisture will an at- 

 mosphere of 35° or 36° contain? and is this not about the proper 

 temperature for the successful keeping of fruits? 



3Ir. Deitz, of Pennsylvania — A close atmosphere at a tempera- 

 ture of 36° will contain moisture enough. They will keep just as- 

 well, or even better, in a dry atmosphere, but will lose heavily by 

 shrinkage.* 



Mr. Cassell, of Mississippi — If I can keep my Duchess pears for 

 four weeks in cold storage it would double their value. 



3Ir. Caywood, of New York — I visited Mr. Collins' house. I 

 found myself quite wet when I came out from the drippings from 

 the ice chamber overhead. His earliest fall apples were in good 

 condition, though badly handled in gathering. They went to mar- 

 ket in good condition, as I saw them in the Philadelphia markets 

 afterwards. 



Mr. Collins — I have no trouble in keeping the Duchess pear, if 

 picked early. 



3Ir. Brackett, of Kansas — Is not decay more certain and rapid 

 if fruit is kept damp? 



3Ir. Collins — No; fruit is itself a moist body. It will keep bet- 

 ter on a cellar floor than in the dryer portions of the room. 



Dr. McKaij, of Mississippi — I have just opened some Winter 

 Nellis pears, kept in an ordinary room since October, and they are 

 in good condition ; those in cold storage are not good. 



3Ir. Wilcox, of California — Are there not other conditions besides 

 moisture and low temperature that are desirable? 



3Ir. Mae, of Wisconsin — Regular conditions promote long keep- 

 ing of fruits. 



3Ir. Campbell, of Ohio — Belle Lucrative and other fall varieties 

 of pears come out of cold storage in good condition now. 



3Ir. Caywood — Having noticed grapes that fall upon the ground 

 and are covered with leaves keeping well, induced me to try some 



■*NoTL. — At a temperature of 35° the elastic force of aqueous vapor, in a satu- 

 rated atmosphere, ecjuals a perpendicular pressure of 0.204 of an inch of mercury, 

 and at 80° of 1.023 inches; hence, the absolute quantity of water in the form of 

 vapor in the air would be five times as much at 80° as at 35°. Secretary. 



