THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 285 



grape3 will be destroyed. However, ifc may be renewed by dusting 

 some fine flower over the berries, holding the bunch by the stalk or 

 stem during the operation. Beech and hazel flowers can easily be 

 procured. They should be collected soon after they have fallen 

 from the trees, and put into an airy room to be thoroughly dried 

 before they are used. 



Bran. — When this material can be procured, it will, perhaps, 

 answer equally as well as the former ; and, being of a finer nature, 

 it will more readily fill up the crevices between the fruit. 



Canvas. — This material has been strongly recommended by 

 some, with a view to prevent any dust from settling on the fruit. 

 It also tends to prevent their evaporation, by preventing the air 

 from acting on them. 



Sealing- Wax. — This is much employed in France, and other 

 parts of the Continent, for preserving pears. It is applied by 

 sealing up the end of the stalk as you would seal up a letter, only 

 not putting quite so much on. In this way fruit is preserved for 

 some time. 



Hat, Straw, and Fern. — These have been used for a long time 

 for covering pears and apples in the fruit-room, and likewise for 

 packing ; but I consider them coarse for packing, when other 

 materials of a lighter nature can be procured. 



Pitting. — Apples may be kept in pits after the manner of 

 potatoes ; we have seen this practice both in France and England 

 with success ; but the fruit does not keep long after it is taken out ; 

 consequently only a small quantity should be taken out at one 

 time, and the pit should be instantly closed up, to prevent the 

 admission of air. Apples in this manner will be found quite sound 

 and good in the months of May and June, or even Jul}', if they 

 have been pitted in a careful manner, all bruised ones being rejected, 

 which would destroy the others. A little powdered charcoal should 

 be carefully sifted over the apples as they are laid up, which should 

 be done in regular layers. The charcoal absorbs any moisture that 

 is given off by the apples, and keeps all cool. After this is done, 

 take some clean wheat-straw, or hay, and lay it over the fruit, to the 

 thickness of a foot, fastening it down with ropes made of the same 

 material, then cover them up with earth to the depth of another 

 foot. The covering will prevent any change in the atmosphere from 

 reaching the apples. The operation should be performed in dry 

 weather. 



Preserving fruits on detached shoots has been adopted with 

 but little success. The experiment was tried with grapes, which 

 were detached from the main branch, a piece of the shoot, about 

 a foot long, being cut with the bunch. Some were immersed [in 

 bottles of water, others were suspended in the fruit-room, and 

 part were left on the shoots in the vinery. It was found that those 

 in the vinery kept as long as the others. A good plan is to cut the 

 bunches, and turning them upside down, suspend them in a room 

 with a steady temperature a little above 32°. Another method is 

 to cut off the bunches, with a foot of the stem on each side of the 

 bunch, sealing up the cut ends with sealing-wax, and suspending 



8cptencber. 



