THINNING, GATHERING, KEEPING, MARKETING. 133 



with berries; then the next one, Fig. 195, is placed upon it, 

 the projections exactly fitting the posts. This is next filled, 

 and so on, successively, till the five drawers are all filled and 

 in their places within the posts. Cut a board for a lid so as 

 to fit accurately inside of these upright posts, which should 

 be just long enough to project slightly above the lid. Theffe 

 should be open mortices or slots in the top of each post, so as 

 to admit two top pieces, Fig. 197, made the same size as the 

 bottom pieces already described, and with tenons cut on the 

 ends to fit the slots. When these pieces are put in their 

 places and fastened there by means of iron pins through them, 

 or by means of hinged iron straps running over them and 

 keying closely down, the lid will then be held securely to its 

 place, and the whole set of drawers, with its contents, will 

 be ready for railway conveyance. 



It will be observed that the case, consisting almost entirely 

 of drawers, is light. The arrangement of strips around the 

 drawers, securely fastened at the corners, makes the case 

 strong. Berries can be put into these drawers in bulk, or any 

 of the boxes in use can be placed in them. They are cheap 

 a good carpenter can make four in a day, complete ; the whole 

 cost, made in the best manner, will not exceed $1.50 or $2.00 

 for a case holding two and a half or three bushels. 



KEEPING FRUIT. 



The essential requisites for the successful keeping of fruit 

 are i. A proper degree of maturity ; 2. Careful hand-picking 

 to avoid all bruises ; 3. Assorting the ripe from the unripe ; 

 4. An apartment with a low temperature and free from super- 

 abundant moisture ; and 5. A pure air, free from unpleasant 

 odors. 



If a house-cellar is employed for this purpose, the fruit- 

 room should be entirely separated from the rest by means of 

 a wall for the purpose of excluding all odors, and for more 

 perfectly controlling the temperature. On this account a cel- 

 lar under a grain-'barn commonly succeeds well, the floor 

 above being double with a space of air between. A cellar 

 that is too moist may be rendered dryer by paving with small 



