298 THE APPLE CULTURIST. 



of fruit may be kept any desired length of time. The at- 

 mosphere in such a fruit-room is at about freezing-point, 

 although the apples and other fruit are not frozen. As 

 crude fruit is constantly emitting moisture, the fruit-room 

 would soon become quite too damp, were it not for the ab- 

 sorbent material which is kept spread out on the floor in 

 large quantities. Chloride of lime is employed for the ab- 

 sorbent, which has a great attraction for moisture, and a 

 capacity for retaining a large quantity. As soon as this 

 absorbent material is saturated with moisture, it is carried 

 out into the air and dried thoroughly, and returned. By 

 this means the fruit-room is kept cold and very dry. But 

 when fruit is removed from such a preserving-house in the 

 summer, it will soon decay, if it is not consumed immedi- 

 ately. If the moisture in such a fruit-room were not ab- 

 sorbed at once, the atmosphere would soon become like a 

 dense aqueous and stagnant vapor, exceedingly unfavorable 

 for the preservation of fruit. 



Fried Apples for Human Food. In those regions where 

 potatoes are few and poor, on account of the rot, fried ap- 

 ples are an excellent substitute. They are quickly pre- 

 pared for the table, which is often a consideration of no 

 small importance. Wash them, cut them in two, take out 

 the stem, core, and calyx, and, unpealed, put them into a tin 

 pan with butter, or the gravy of baked pork, with some 

 water, in proportion to the quantity to be fried ; cover 

 them with a lid, set them on the stove, stir them occasion- 

 ally until they become soft, and be careful not to burn 

 them. Romanites, which are often almost worthless, baked 

 or raw, "disappear with good gusto when fried." We 

 may truthfully pronounce despisable Penics good, when 

 fried ; but the Porters, Bellflowers, Talman's Sweeting, and 

 a long list which we might name, when fried, are really a 

 luxury. Most persons like apples in a raw state, or when 



