206 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The peach crop is the one chieily to be considered by me. Of course, the 

 most merchantable part of them can be sold, and another part may be dried, also 

 another part may be canned. And now we are left with the most difficult 

 part of our subject to solve; What can we do with and how can we dispose of 

 those too mellow to be used in the ways heretofore mentioned, and during a 

 glut in the market ? Can we not devise some means to stay the process of 

 ripening, and thereby hold our peaches and other fruits a few days until the 

 over supply is lifted from the market, and it demands that which we are hold- 

 ing back. 



Take for instance this season's crop of Early Crawfords, when the market 

 was perfectly glutted, the business to all appearances overdone, thousands of 

 bushels dropping upon the ground and suffered to go to waste, too mellow to 

 be used in any of the known ways, and unless some way is devised by which 

 we can utilize this part of the crop, we must necessarily suffer heavy losses. 

 Now the question is, can we not devise some method by which we can stay the 

 process of ripening, and also use those matured too much to be placed upon 

 the market? If we can, then success will orown the fruit-grower's efforts. 



This subject has received much consideration from me during the past year 

 or two, and from my own investigations, and what information I have been able 

 to glean from others, I believe a refrigerator or cooling room can be so con- 

 structed, that by placing our fruits in it, at the proper time, we may be enabled 

 to hold them for a few days, or a few weeks at any time, as desired. 



During my investigations of this matter, I have had the pleasure of looking 

 through a newly constructed cooling-house at my place, the walls of which are 

 nearly two feet thick, being ceiled tightly outside and in, and filled between 

 the studding with sawdust, calculated to make the whole structure air tight. 

 The upper part of this building is a large chamber, calculated to hold several 

 tons of ice, beneath which is the cooling room, so constructed that the cold 

 air is constantly falling into it from above, holding the temperature at about 

 thirty-six or thirty-eight degrees. This room is so constructed, also, that no 

 dripping of water from the ice above can reach the fruit or anything below. 

 It is only cold, dry air, that comes in contact with the fruit. 



In a room of this kind I believe we can hold our peaches for a number of 

 days. 



I am informed by the gentleman who put up the cooling house spoken of 

 that some parties in Toledo placed quite a quantity of grapes in one of these 

 rooms and kept them several months perfectly, and when taken out realized a 

 high price for them. A gentleman in our place kept strawberries two weeks 

 last summer in a small house refrigerator. He related his experience to me in 

 this matter, knowing I had the subject under consideration, and the more I 

 investigate it the more I become convinced of the feasibility of it. If straw- 

 berries and grapes can be kept, why cannot peaches? 



Now, in conclusion, we come to the subject of mellow peaches — those too 

 ripe to dry, too ripe to ship or can. I believe these may be utilized by pressing 

 out the juice, and from it making a jelly similar to that made from the apple 

 by the same process, evaporating it from eight gallons to one, without the addi- 

 tion of sugar. This is a matter which will receive my special attention the 

 coming season; it is a subject that earnestly invites the attention of every 

 fruit-grower. 



I would like to say more upon this topic, but I have already trespassed too 

 long upon your time, therefore I will leave the subject with you for your con- 

 sideration, and take it with me for further investigation. 



