Keeping Fruit. 181 



is very dry. Where the cellars are shut up tight, with no ven- 

 tilation except through the roof, the air will be sufficiently damp 

 and often too damp to keep fruit well, and hence I claim that 

 the fruit should be kept dry, as dry as you can get your cellar, 

 and then there will be dampness enough. 



B. B. Olds, of Clinton — I can say from my own experience that 

 different varieties need different treatment. As stated, the Golden 

 Russet needs a greater degree of moisture to keep it well. This 

 is a point of a good deal of importance. The plan of securing an 

 even temperature by sub-earth ventilation looks rational and 

 should be tested, as can easily be done. 



Senator Arnold — There ate a good many fruit men here, and 

 I would like to get their opinion on what will be the effect of the 

 severe weather this winter on the fruit crop. 



Mr. Kellogg — That question can be answered better next June 

 than now, but I fear we shall have some orchard funerals then. 

 The trees bore heavily last season, and went into winter quarters 

 in rather a feeble condition. The weather was very cold last 

 month, but I think that very little damage has been done so far; 

 it is from warm weather, which will probably come, that danger 

 is to be apprehended. The weather so far has been steady cold 

 but not so severe as in some other years. In 1875, the aggregate 

 number of degrees below zero in this month was 325, while this 

 year it was 281. 



Wra, Gill — -If this warm weather is to come, is there any way 

 in which we can protect our trees from injury by it? 



Mr. Kelloerg — -It would be well to shield the bodies on the 

 south and southwest sides by boards, lath or paper. 



A.. G. Tuttle, Baraboo — I have observed the winters very care- 

 fully for twenty-five years, and have made repeated examinations 

 of the trees in each season. A year ago, about this time, I 

 examined the trees and found little or no signs of injury. The 

 wood was not colored in the least, but was as brght as in the fall. 

 Last Saturday I examined the trees and found them in as good a 

 condition as a year ago. These two years, this and last, have been 

 the only seasons when I did not find more or less damage had 

 been done in the orchard, more or less coloring of the wood. I 



