44 THE BOOK OF THE APPLE 



the storage of pears and other soft and delicate fruits. 

 For this purpose it is indisputably of great value, as 

 we have proved at Windsor. Both Mr Bunyard and Mr 

 Crump emphasise the necessity of allowing the fruits to 

 " sweat," that is to say, of allowing their surfaces to 

 become perfectly dry before the fruit room is closed 

 for the winter. The best means of ensuring this is 

 to allow a free current of air to pass round about the 

 fruits for a few weeks after they are first placed in the 

 fruit room. It is important also to close the latter 

 during cold weather, thus bottling up a supply of cold 

 air. Providing that the surfaces of the apples are well 

 dried, as above directed, no harm will be done by 

 storing the fruits in several layers, one upon another. 

 Mr Bunyard even places them in heaps, three feet deep, 

 and finds that they keep thus perfectly sound, providing 

 that "sweating" has properly taken place. Mr Crump 

 stores his fruits in three layers immediately upon each 

 other, and we have often been obliged to place them 

 much more thickly than this when an unusually heavy 

 crop has been gathered. It does not apparently make 

 much difference whether they are placed in single, 

 double, or treble layers, or even more thickly, provid- 

 ing that the apple surfaces are first well dried, that 

 the temperature of the room is equable and suitable, 

 and that the atmosphere is moist. This last mentioned 

 item is an important one, for unless it is attended to 

 shrivelling will almost certainly result. 



ROOT PRUNING 



Root pruning is a matter that, sooner or later, has to 

 be considered by almost every one who attempts the 

 culture of the apple, and a right knowledge of its 

 performance is necessary. Some varieties of apples 

 there are that naturally grow vigorously; trees may be 



