THE 1'LOKAL WOKLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



273 



be ..desirable would cost about £150 ; but 

 a very good oue may be constructed for 

 less money. A room on the basement or 

 on the first tloor may be chosen, with only 

 a door and window to the south or east. 

 It is important that it should be large 

 enough to admit of the fruit being pro- 

 perly laid out ; and that it should be free 

 from damp, and not liable to great and 

 sudden changes of temperature : the latter 

 should be maintained, as far as possible, 

 between 41° and 48° Fahrenheit. The 

 window and its shutter should be made 

 to fit perfectly close, in order that neither 

 mice nor air can have access. 



If the room is square and sufficiently 

 wide, fruit-shelves may be put up all round; 

 and in the middle, a series of round turn- 

 ing stages, 2J feet in diameter, supported 

 above each other at a foot apart. The 

 boarding for the shelves must be sound, 

 dry, and planed smooth. When got up 

 they must be furnished with a small ledge 

 to prevent the fruit from rolling off. For 

 constructing one of these turning pyra- 

 midal stages, take a piece of square timber 

 about four inches on the side, but rounded 

 at each end, and pointed with iron. To 

 the four sides of this upright post let 

 horizontal pieces be fixed about a foot 

 apart, for the support of the circular 

 shelves, which should be hooped with tin 

 or zinc. When these are secured to the 

 upright post, the pyramid resembles an 

 upright shaft or axle with numerous hori- 

 zontal wheels. The pivot ends of the 

 shaft are so fitted into copper sockets, 

 which are fixed in the floor and top of the 

 room, as to admit of the shaft with all the 

 circular shelves attached being turned 

 round with the slightest touch. In con- 

 sequence of the facility which this arrange- 

 ment affords of turaiug round the shelves, 

 there is no necessity for going up and 



down a ladder in order to shift it from 

 place to place when inspecting the fruit. 

 By means of two hooks which catches 

 against an iron stay at top, the ladder is 

 secured in a position that enables a person 

 to reach the whole of the fruit, by turning 

 round the shelves, without moving the 

 ladder. 



Before the fruit is brought in, the 

 wood-work of the room should be tho- 

 roughly washed and well aired. The 

 shelves should then be covered with a 

 layer of perfectly dry moss or sawdust. 



The fruit should be carefully sorted. 

 That which ripens first should be placed 

 in front, and the side of the fruit which 

 has been exposed to the sun's rays should 

 be placed uppermost in order that the 

 ripening hue may be more easily observed. 



When the fruit is all taken in and 

 placed on the shelves, it should be covered 

 with thin paper in order to protect it from 

 the air and dust. During the first three 

 days, if the weather is fine and dry, air 

 may be given for one or two hours in the 

 middle of the day. After three or four 

 days the fruit must be kept shut up and 

 in the dark. 



Shoidd the fruit become so covered 

 with moisture as to endanger its sound 

 keeping, recourse may be had to muriate 

 of lime, which may be placed in anv 

 corner of the fruit-room. When, in con- 

 sequence of attracting the moisture, the 

 muriate of lime becomes liquid, it may be 

 dried by heat and used again. Sulphuric 

 acid, in an open jar, may be employed for 

 the same purpose, and when the acid lias 

 attracted moisture to the extent of satu- 

 ration, a fresh supply of the substance 

 must be introduced. — F. C. Willehmoz, 

 Taschenbuchfur Pomologen, Gartner v.nd 

 Garteitfreunde, Stuttgart, 1860. 



GLADIOLI. 



No one who attended the Crystal Palace 

 on September 19th, 1860, can forget the 

 magnificent display of gladioli, the finest 

 6how of this flower that has ever taken 

 place in England, and perhaps in Europe ; 

 for, though a French introduction, at this 

 exhibition the English flower, and Eng- 

 lish seedlings, too, carried off the palm. 



One great recommendation to the cul- 

 tivation of gladioli is, that they flourish 

 in poor soils. In the poor heath sand of 



' Bagshot, Mr. Standish grew the guns of 

 the exhibition. This was the soil that 

 grew the first prize. On turning to that 

 gentleman's catalogue, we find he gives us 

 these directions : — " To grow this very 

 handsome tribe of plants to perfection, the 

 bulbs should be planted in a light sandy 

 soil; if very poor, a Utile leaf-mould may 

 be added, but no dung." A perfect lady 

 flower, and one in which a perfect lady 

 can take real fiard-Korhing pleasure, no- 



