348 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



supply. Summer and autumn varieties must be picked and sent 

 to market when green and hard, must be packed tight in barrels 

 or in cases, with coarse matting around the sides, top and 

 bottom, so they cannot shake about nor bruise. 



COLORING AND RIPENING SUMMER AND AUTUMN PEARS. 



While many varieties will ripen upon the tree with rich golden 

 or crimson colors, like the Bartlett and Sekel, all varieties of 

 pears will attain a richer tint as well as a higher flavor by a little 

 attention. For the attainment of the best result, darkness and 

 warmth in the masses of fruit are necessary. Fruit picked green 

 should be exposed long enough to become perfectly dry, and is 

 then packed in cloth-lined barrels and cases. 



RIPENING OF WINTER PEARS. 



The Winter Nelis, the Lawrence, Beurre d'Hiver, and others, 

 attain their delicious maturity in the early part of December, in- 

 stead of keeping sound and hard until February. The Easter 

 Beurre, Glout Morceau, Doyenne d' Alencon. lose a great quan- 

 tity of their juice by evaporation, and resemble a potato kept 

 one year quite as much as a pear. 



FRUIT ROOMS. 



For effecting proper conditions of ripening, very expensive 

 structures, fruit nouses, and rooms have been erected, and it is 

 but just to say, in many cases, resulted only in disappointment. 

 The only sensible way of preparing safe depositories for storing 

 pears, of long keepers, fruit rooms should be built of double 

 walls, confining a stratum of air between, which is sometimes 

 more perfectly accomplished by the use of dry tan, charcoal dust, 

 and similar substances. There should be but one window, and 

 that filled with double sashes. Ventilators should be provided, 

 which should be allowed to change the air of the room only suffi- 

 ciently to prevent it becoming feculent and damp. No decaying 

 fruit should be permitted to remain in the room, nor any vege- 

 tables or substances having odor. A gentleman who had ex- 

 pressed great disappointment with the flavor of several varieties 

 of pears, was greatly surprised by having the cause of the infer- 

 iority of his fruit pointed out. He at once commenced removing 

 from his fruit-room all the materials belonging to the har- 

 ness and lumber room, the decaying matter accumulated in cor- 

 ners and boxes, and finished with thoroughly cleansing and white 

 washing the walls. The pears, ripened in the room thereafter, 

 were not only a source of gratification in their fine flavor; but of 

 suprise at the means of their perfection. Other fruits may be ex- 

 posed on shelves, but pears should be inclosed in boxes with tight- 

 fitting covers, or if the quantity is large, in well made barrels 



