286 OF 'FRUITS. SECT. XVII* 



kept from others, and used first. Gather by laying 

 them in gently in shallow baskets. 



House pears in a dry airy room, at first thinly for 

 a few (*ays, and then put them in heaps to sweat ; 

 in order to which, a blanket thrown over them will 

 help. The fermentation must be watched, and when 

 it seems to have passed the height of sweating, wipe 

 the fruit quite dry gently with line flannel, or clean 

 soft linen, and store them carefully* 



The storing is thus : Those to be used first, lay by 

 singly on shelves, or on the floor, in a dry southern 

 room, on clean dry moss, or sweet dry straw, so as 

 not to touch one another. Some, or all the rest, 

 may be stored as directed for apples : for they will 

 thus keep very well, having first laid a fortnight 

 singly, and then nicely culled. But the most supe- 

 rior way is, to pack in large earthen, or China or 

 stone jars, with very dry long moss at the bottom, 

 sides, and also between them, if it might be. Press 

 a good coat of moss on the top, and then stop the 

 mouth close with cork, or otherwise, which should 

 be rosined round With about a twentieth part of bees- 

 wax in it. As the object is effectually to keep out 

 air, (the cause of putrefaction) the jars, if earthen, 

 may be set on dry sand, which put also between, 

 round, and over them, to a_foot thick on the top. 

 In all close storing, observe, there should be no 

 doubt of the soundness of the fruit. Guard in time 

 from frost those that lie open. Jars of fruit must 

 % be soon used after unsealing. See pages 31, 38, 

 45, 74, 77, 86, 94, 95, 100, &c. 108, 161, 169- 



PLUM, of the many sorts the following are good : 

 Green and blue gage, Fotheringham, white and blue 

 perdrigon, drop a" or, la roche Corbon, la royal, and 

 St. Catharine. The imperial, or red magnum bonum, 

 and white magnum bonum, are chiefly used in tarts, 

 and for sweet-meats, as is the JVtntworth. The 



