14 



conditions to keep fruit. Brine, alcohol, oil and sugar preserve organic 

 substances, but change their nature in so doing. This house, on the 

 contrary, holds the fruit as it finds it, keeps it in a state of complete 

 quiet, leaving it undisturbed by any agency beyond itself. Three ther- 

 mometers, in different parts of the house at Cleveland, were not seen 

 to vary from being a little below 34°, from April till August of 1865. 

 This remarkable evenness of temperature is, in a great part, the result 

 of very perfect walls, doors, and floors, and great care in the construc- 

 I tion of every part. In this way all decay arising from expansion and 

 contraction of the skins, cells and tissues of tlie fruit is completely 

 arrested. 



Tlie absorbent, or waste bittern, is spread out on the entire surface 

 of the floor, and, if needed, on additional surfaces above it. One square 

 foot of well exposed bittern, either in the dry state, or state of inspis- 

 sated brine, will be enougli to take up the moisture arising from two to 

 six bushels of fruit, varying according to its condition of greenness or 

 ripeness. The floors of the preserving room should be level, so that 

 the thick brine running from the dry chloride may not collect in basins, 

 but spread over the largest surface. The moisture from the fruit, taken 

 up by the absorbent, varies from about three to ten gallons, for every 

 one thousand bushels of fruit, weekly. Fruit plucked early evaporates 

 much less than when fully rijje. In a room or any confined vessel 

 when filled with fruit in the gradual process of ripening, carbonic 

 acid and water are constantly generated. Six potmds of carbon, and 

 one of hydrogen, will take up all the oxygen contained in one hundred 

 and twenty pounds of air. The oxygen, especially if the fruit be ripe, 

 and the air warm, will usually be consumed in about forty-eight hours. 

 The atmosphere is then made up of the nitrogen of the air and carbonic 

 ocid. The former is destitute of all active properties, good or bad. 

 The latter is not found to have any action on fruit immersed in it. 

 Hydrogen and carbon then cease to be evolved from the fruit, as there 

 is now no agent to unite with them, in the same way that they cease to 

 be evolved from a burning candle when the air is removed. Decom- 

 position ceases in both cases from the same reason. 



The principle is thus stated by Liebeg : " Decay is much retarded 

 in the absence of moisture, and by the substance being surrounded with 

 an atmosphere of carbonic acid, which prevents the air fi-om coirllpg in 

 contact with decaying matter." All fruit should be in the house when 

 tree ripe ; that is, as soon as it has received all the virtue the tree or 

 the vine can impart to it. Liebeg says : " Rub an unripe or green 



