180 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



Charles Herschinger — Where the chimneys run to the bottom 

 of the cellar the best way is to put in a stove and keep the tem- 

 perature from getting too low. 



J. C. Plumb — The experience of every one who has tried 

 these methods is that they are not satisfactory. They all require 

 ti good deal of attention and labor and at the best, you cannot 

 get an even temperature ; part of the time it will be too warm 

 and then again, too cold. I have been satisfied for years that we 

 must have a different system for the ventilation of our cellars, 

 both in winter and summer. The most feasible plan, I think, 

 is sub-earth or earth ventilation, passing a current of the out- 

 side air through an underground channel a sufficient distance to 

 have it modified by the earth temperature. Then winter or sum- 

 mer there will be but little variation in the temperature of your 

 cellar from that of the earth, which averages from forty-five to 

 fifty degrees. The water in shallow wells if covered so as to pro- 

 tect them from the influence of the outside air will remain about 

 at this point the year through. By means of large bodies of ice 

 an even temperature can be secured in fruit houses built for this 

 purpose, but the plan I have mentioned seems to be the only one 

 that can be brought into general use. 



I wish to criticise one point in Mr. Herschinger's paper, that is 

 that apples will not keep well in a damp atmosphere; just the re- 

 verse is true, as has been proved by many experiments of late. I 

 would ask him what the condition of the air is in his barrels of 

 Grolden Eussets, headed up tight ? Is not the moisture all retained? 

 Is it not very damp ? Damp air is essential to the well keeping 

 of fruit, provided it is of a low temperature. But a moist and 

 high temperature causes apples to decay at once. If it must be 

 high, then it is better to be dry, but where low, the dampness is 

 beneficial. 



Mr. Herschinger — The Golden Russet requires more moisture 

 to keep it well than other varieties. Yentilate your cellars all you 

 can and the air will be damp enough for apples of other kinds, 

 but not for the Russet, and hence I give them different treatment 

 I once had a cellar with a stream of water running through it, but 

 the fruit did not keep as well in it as in the one I now have, which 



