SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 351 



most perfect manner. Fruit growers may arrive sufliciently near the mark, 

 so that fruits may be kept perfectly during the cold months, by means of frost- 

 proof walls and a careful system of ventilation, avoiding a thorough draft. 



Since fruit is easily affected by odors care should be taken that the air of 

 any fruit house should be kept clean and sweet. To this end notliing but 

 fruit should be kept in the fruit house, at least nothing that will give off un- 

 pleasant odors. So particular are some in this respect that they will not keep 

 apples and pears in the same room. To ensure perfect cleanliness the walls 

 and iloors should be frequently whitewashed with lime. We sec no reason 

 ■why the sub-earth air-duct system may not be one of the best means for win- 

 ter ventilation as it certainly must be for summer ventilation. 



With care fruits may be retarded in their ripening for long periods. When 

 wanted for use they are removed to a warm and dry place, where they quickly 

 mature. When extra fine specimens are to be preserved they are carefully 

 packed in some dry odorless substance, as cotton, ^vool, bran, buckwheat hulls, 

 dry oak leaves, or pure sand. Land plaster is said to be an excellent means for 

 saving apples through the winter intact. A thin layer of plaster is placed in 

 the bottom of tlie barrel, then a layer of apples, and so alternately layers of 

 plaster and apples until the ^vhole barrel is filled, when the barrel is headed 

 and kept in a cool place until spring, coming out sound and intact. This plan 

 should keep russets and other varieties liable to shrivel, and those wishing to 

 keep apples as late as possible and having no fruit houses, may find this plan 

 valuable. There will be no loss in the plaster for it will be worth all it costs 

 and more for sowing on the land after the apples are used. — Prairie Farmer. 



KEEPING APPLES. 



Apples should not be put into the cellar until hard freezing arrives. They 

 should be packed in clean, new barrels and stored in some shed or covered 

 with boards exposed to the atmosphere for several wrecks after picking, then 

 removed to the grain barn, away from the smell of stables, and allowed to re- 

 main there as long as possible and not be frozen. AYe throw stalks or straw 

 over the barrels, and often defer placing them in the cellar until late in De- 

 cember. The fruit cellar should be darkened and kept as cool as possible and 

 not freeze. Place the barrels on their sides w^ith strips of wood between them 

 and. the cellar bottom, and do not open or move until wanted for use. If the 

 cellar is free from the scent of vegetables when the barrels are open a rich, 

 tempting perfume will arise. Most cellars are too warm for the storing of 

 fruit. — Bosto?i Jouriial. 



HARVESTING APPLES. 



My method of gathering and storing winter apples is about as follows : 

 All dry apples — those inclined to wilt if exposed — like the Russet and Swaar, 

 and, in a measure, the Baldwin, 1 put in barrels. All juicy sorts, like the 

 Spy, Greening, Rambo, etc., I store in crates made for the purpose, that hold 

 2^ bushels each. These are made stronsc, lisfht and in a form convenient to 

 handle, all are three feet long, fourteen inclies square and closed at the middle. 



