410 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



had a ridge, giving one-third pitch, and one end had a door tliree feet wide, and 

 botli liad vcntihxtors of tliree by two feet in the apex ; posts of four by four 

 scantling were set accordingly, licfore the roof was put on the frame was 

 lined inside with inch boards, and i\\\cd— packed — with sawdust; the ridge pole, 

 two by four, with plates corresponding, were placed, and on the under side were 

 half-inch boards nailed to tlieni, leaving a space of four inches in and between 

 therooling, which was filled wiih sawdust, and then inch boards, projecting one 

 foot over the eaves, broadly battened, formed the roof. Next a floor of inch 

 boards was placed at the height of seven feet, leaving a trap door in center 

 hung on hinges, with a pulley rope to raise or lower it. Double doors at one 

 end were built, the passway being left three by eighteen feet, and on the sides 

 and rear end shelves were made, commencing three feet from the ground, a 

 shelf every six inches, of boards four inches wide and half inch thick, leaving 

 a space of one-half inch between each board of the shelf, and finishing by a 

 two-inch strip edgewise on the front of each shelf. This completed the inside, 

 the lower three feet under the shelves being left for storing baskets or barrels 

 of fruit as brought in, until they could be arranged. Before any fruit was 

 placed npon the shelves, a clean white paper was spread — the first tier laid, 

 another paper over, another tier and another paper. Xo two apples or pears 

 or peaches or plums touched each other. 



Now as to the outside finish. I have said double doors were made, and this 

 means one door inside of the other three feet, the inner door having glass in it 

 to light the room when looking over the fruit, if necessary on account of cold. 

 The ventilators in the apex of each end were arranged to be opened or closed 

 by a pulley cord from the outside. The earth taken from the base was banked 

 np all around tlie house, walls being built to admit of the steps down to the 

 entrance. A thermometer was kept, and unless carelessness occurred in open- 

 ing it on a cold dav, it was never below 35° nor above 50°. 



The cost of such a building to-day probably would be fifty to sixty dollars. 

 It kept fruits then, and I see no reason why such an one should not keep them 

 again. F. R. Elliott. 



HINTS FOR THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



FLORICULTURE ON THE FARM. 



The following is from a discussion on one of the evenings of the New York 

 State Fair : 



The second discussion of the evening was opened by a brief paper by Mr. 

 James Vick, in which he strongly urged upon all farmers the advantages and 

 the duty of devoting some iiortion of their land to the culture of iloweis, as an 

 efficient means of mental improvement to themselves, and an indispensable 

 assistant in keeping the children at home and making them love the country. 



Mr. CJrccn re})elled the insinuation that farmers do not love flowers. The 



