3o6 The Canadian Horticulturist, 



COLD STORAGE FOR FRUITS. 



T a meeting of Massachusetts horticulturists, Dr. Jabez 

 Fisher, in speaking on "The Preservation of Fruits by 

 Cold Storage," said he had first begun to experiment in 

 this direction more than 20 years ago, when he placed a 

 crop of pears in an ice-house, and held them back from 

 the market for several weeks, and in that way realized a 

 profit twice as great as usual. For the grower of small 

 fruits, like strawberries and raspberries, he said, cold 

 storage is not at all practicable. But for the preservation 

 of the winter apple, it is a method shown to be very valuable and certain to add 

 much to one's income from the fruits he raises. He said : 



When you are ready to harvest your apple crop, the thing to do is to dis- 

 cover how to get the most money for it. If you have a good cellar, you can 

 keep apples there with good results. A building can be constructed which will 

 accomplish the same purpose. It should be built with double walls, with a 

 space of one foot between. This space should be filled with planing mill shav- 

 ings. An earth floor will answer, although a cement floor is better. There 

 should be no windows in this structure, and there should be a double door on 

 the north side. There should be a good-sized ventilator in the centre of the 

 building. 



When you are getting ready to store your apples, you want to take advan- 

 tage of every cold night to reduce the temperature by leaving the doors open. 

 Of course there will be some nights when the temperature in the building will 

 be cooler than in the open air. On such nights keep the door shut. After the 

 apples are picked, I prefer to put them into bushel boxes rather than into 

 barrels. After the apples are picked, the sooner you get them into the cellar or 

 storage house, where there is an equable temperature, the better. In packing 

 apples for the market, never put a large apple and a small apple side by side. 

 Apples that are nearly of a size will sell much more readily and for a better 

 price than when they are ill assorted. 



Chrysanthemums. — The thinning of buds should go on from day to 

 day. The value of the crop depends on thinning. One good flower is worth 

 ten poor ones. The plants have now branched out into leaders and laterals. 

 The leaders, of which there may be from three to five, will form what is termed 

 the crown bud, one bud on each stem. The plant will branch again, forming 

 Wders known as terminals, with buds known as terminal buds, or the termina- 

 tion of the plant's growth. As a rule the crown buds form the best flowers, but 

 if they form too early, let the terminals grow and take out the crown bud. Nip 

 out all buds except those in the centre of the cluster. Keep show plants staked 

 and tied up to induce shapeUness. Give all plants plenty of water and liquid 

 manure twice a week. 



