HINTS ON FRUIT-ROOMS. 



as those which succeed, though much more rarely heard of. My practice is to keep an 

 account of the crop of each vine in my house, every year, (the vines being numbered, in 

 order to distinguish them,) and I leave more or less fruit, in proportion as the last year's 

 crop has been well or ill ripened. My vines, which are mostly Black Hamburghs, have 

 been planted eight years, and were not allowed to bear a bunch till the fourth year after 

 planting, and I have never yet been able to ripen perfectly, more than nine or ten bunches 

 on any single vine, which is about what Mr. Chorlton proposes for his vines the coming 

 season. I do not call the Black Hamburgh, or any other black grapes, ripe when they are 

 red, though they are often sold in such a state — and (which is still worse,) they often re- 

 ceive a premium at exhibitions. 



Now, there are a great many persons who have young vines coming on, to whom this 

 question possesses a degree of interest, far beyond the mere pecuniary value of the crops; 

 and if all whose experience enables them to communicate facts, would send you a state- 

 ment of them for publication, it would go far to establish a true standard of the quantity 

 of fruit a vine may bear with safety, and the age at which it maj^ begin bearing. A grape 

 vine, properly managed, will outlive the one who plants it, and perhaps several generations 

 after him; and a sense of gratitude for such a gift of Providence, should induce us to study 

 its nature and habits, and beware that we do not abuse it. Yery truly yours, 



H. W. S. Cleveland. 



HINTS ON FRUIT ROOMS 



BY M. P. WILDER, BOSTON. 



We extract by permission, from a private letter of January last, from Hon. M. P. Wil- 

 der, the following notes regarding the construction of a fruit-room, which will interest 

 many of our fruit growers. Ed. 



My fruits are keeping admirably in the new fruit-room. This room happens to have 

 been situated and constructed so much like Mr. Morrison's, (of which j'ou have seen the 

 drawings and description in the Gardener's Chronicle,) as to be almost a fac-simile of his. 



The walls of mine, however, are fiUed-in with charcoal and sawdust. 



The Beurre Diel, Vicar of Winkfield, Excellentissima, and other autumn pears, are now 

 in as perfect condition as when gathered from the trees, and so they will remain till the 

 warm weather of spring approaches. I shall then try some of them in the non-conducting 

 boxes, where I think they may be kept till summer. I have by a similar process, pre- 

 served some varieties till July. Mr. Morrison has no new principle. All that is neces- 

 sary, is to obtain a low temperature during the warm weather of autumn, and to preserve 

 this equilibrium. This being attained, there is no difficulty whatever. When the severe 

 weather of last month occurred, my fruits were removed from the shelves and packed in 

 boxes, with a thin layer of clean rye straw between each tier, the tubes of the straw con- 

 taining air enough to correct mildew and damp. The boxes are now piled on one side of 

 the room, and covered with hay about three feet in depth. 



My experiment was suggested by the bad effects of moisture and warmth in my old fruit 

 cellars, under my dwelling house, and the same difficulty exists with rooms on the 

 ground-floor of buildings. I therefore resorted to the other extreme — a cool and dry cham- 

 ber on the north end of my barn, the location of which you know, (and like Mr. Morri- 

 son's,) over the carriage room. I am now quite satisfied that we have at last ascertained 

 proper location for a fruit-room; namely, a cool upper apartment, with lined non 

 walls. With great regard, yours, M. P 



