76 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The business of canning and drying, though of recent 

 origin, has assumed enormous proportions, and, while it 

 causes a constant drain on the market, makes it possible to 

 supply the remotest nations of the earth with the products 

 of the American orchard. 



The Chairman. We would like to hear how Mr. Brown 

 of Lunenburg keeps his apples. 



Mr. J. F. Brown. I have, perhaps, paid as much atten- 

 tion to the keeping of apples as any farmer in the State. I 

 have not been able, so far, to keep them the year round in 

 large quantities. Something was said by the essayist about 

 my cellar. It is on the north side of the barn, a hundred 

 feet in length, covered by the hay-mow, with the walls as 

 Mr. Slade described. I am able to keep it at a low tem- 

 perature by double windows and doors. After admitting 

 cold air in the fall and early winter, we close the windows 

 and doors, and keep the cellar at as even a temperature as 

 possible. The secret of keeping apples is to keep them at a 

 moderately dry, even temperature, as near thirty-two degrees 

 as possible. Apples will not injure at a temperature of 

 twenty-six or twenty-eight degrees. 



Mr. Russell. How long do you keep them ? 



Mr. Brown. I can keep them to June or July. 



Mr. Davis (of Plymouth). Is not the cellar damp? 



Mr. Brown. It is underdrained to carry off the moisture, 

 and the cemented floors keep it perfectly dry. 



Mr. Slade. How large an orchard have you ? 



Mr. Brown. I should judge some twelve to fifteen acres. 



Mr. Slade. What proportion of the trees bear the odd 

 year? 



Mr. Brown. We have more fruit the odd year than the 

 even year. 



Gov. Long. How have you brought that about ? 



Mr. Brown. By cultivation, I think. 



Mr. Slade. Have you trees bearing every year ? 



Mr. Brown. Not largely. Perhaps they do to a certain 

 extent; but it is not expected that trees can bear very heavily 

 every year. My method of getting them into bearing the 

 odd year was by cultivation, which I think had something 

 to do with it. 



Judge Davis. Do you let your apples stay out of doors 

 before you take them into the cellar? 



