Gathering and Preserving Fruit. 121 



room is reserved for a table, (jig. 6,^ of about six feet long- 

 by three feet broad, for the purpose of receiving the fruit 

 previously to being arranged upon the shelves. Such, then, 

 is the mode of constructing a fruit-room, by the aid of which 

 we are enabled to furnish the table with an equal quantity of 

 dessert fruit every day throughout the year. When the fruit 

 is brought into the fruit-room, they are at first placed upon 

 the central table, which is provided with a quantity of dry 

 moss or cotton ; and after having been sorted, all the bruised 

 ones are removed ; the sound ones are left for three or four 

 days, to throw off the superabundant .moisture ; when this 

 has been effected, the shelves are covered with a thin layer 

 of perfectly dry moss or cotton. The fruit are wiped with a 

 piece of flannel, and placed one by one upon the shelves, not 

 touching one another. Grapes can also be preserved for a 

 length of time in this place, having been gathered as de- 

 scribed above, and taken to the fruit-room. Every branch is 

 examined, and the injured berries cut out carefully with a 



pair of scissors, and 



fixed the reverse way 



to a metallic hook, 



of the form of an S, 



(jig. S.) Attached 



thus, they are less 



likely to rot, because 



the berries are placed 



in a freer position, „. ' ' J, ' T7 V \- 



'■ ' Fig. 9. Movable frame for sus 



Fig.^ Methodofs7is and do not touch pending the Grapes, 



pending clusters of 



Grapes. each othcr. They are hooked to one or two 



hoops, as shown at jig. 9, and suspended with a cord to the 

 ceiling, and made movable with two pulleys. Having thus 

 all the fruit disposed in the fruit-room, the doors and shutters 

 are opened during eight or ten days, to deprive the fruit of 

 the superabundant moisture ; and after this has been done, a 

 fine dry day is chosen to close the fruit-room hermetically. 

 The doors are no more opened, except for the work necessary 

 to be done in the interior. Until now, no other mode was 

 known of drying up superabmidant moisture in fruit-rooms 



VOL. XVIII. NO. III. 16 



