16 



Nyce's Fruit-House, without absorbents, presents one of the best 

 arrangements to dry air by the first method, as it presents the largest 

 ice-cold surface, on its upper part — the place to which vapor from the 

 fruits, always somewhat heated, by constant chemical action that pro- 

 duced it, immediately ascends. But experience has shown in this 

 house, that present results could not be reached by this method alone. 

 The absorbents used, on the contrary, condense vapor freely, from the 

 dryest air, even . when chilled down to zero, or below it. And when 

 spread out on sufficiently extended surfaces, produce in this room any 

 desired degree of dryness. It is claimed that this is the only plan, 

 known to science, that can secure a dryness, uniform and complete, 

 together with a sufficient and equable degree of coldness, for preserving 

 fruits and other organic substances. 



A window with one pane of glass is placed between the entry, or 

 entry room, and each of the other rooms. On the inner side of this is 

 a small shelf, so as to be seen from the entry ; on this is put a small 

 pair of scales, as seen in the drawing. One ounce of dried clean waste 

 bittern, diluted with tAvo ounces of pure rain water, is put on a wide 

 thin plate on one side, balanced and put on the shelf. This kept bal- 

 anced, indicates the usual proper state of dryness, if the plate sinks, 

 moisture is increasing, and the dried absorbent should be renewed. An 

 instrument, known as the Oriental Hygro-Barometer, is also happily 

 adapted to this purpose. 



SUCCESS IX KEEPING FRUIT. 



This depends entirely upon the condition in which it is, when put 

 into the house, and the manner in which it is treated. The house at 

 Newport, opposite Cincinnati, last year showed a loss, in the months of 

 May and June, of only 2 or 3 per cent., and yielded a net profit of 

 $10,000 on about 6,000 bushels of apples ; — the house in question 

 costing about $10,000. 



The loss on grapes, in the house at Cleveland, by the evaporation 

 and drying of bruised and imperfect berries, was about 8 per cent.; 

 and there was not it was thought, in May, a loss by rotting of a single 

 berry mfoiir tons of fruit. With lemons and oranges, everything de- 

 pends upon the sound and fresh condition in which they are, when put 

 in the house. Soft skinned lemons, with the skin indentive, will not 

 keep as well as hard skinned ; but sound skinned ones, with green stems 

 on, have been kept in the Cleveland house from March through July 



