VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 67 



wrap each apple as oranges and lemons are wrapped for 

 importation in paper ; old newspapers will answer. Pa- 

 per is not only impervious to air, but serves to keep the 

 fruit at a uniform temperature. Another method of pre- 

 serving apples is to put some dry, fine sand into each bar- 

 rel and shake it down very gently ; powdered plaster is 

 sometimes used instead of sand. Another way is to pit 

 the apples in a dry sandy soil. A hole three or four feet 

 deep should be dug, the fruit put in upon dry straw and 

 covered with a layer of straw and dry earth. The earth 

 should be raised above the general level of the ground, so 

 as to shed rain. When thus protected, the apples are 

 said to keep well until spring. 



With the rapidly increasing settlement of our North- 

 western States and Territories, and the universal desire of 

 an intelligent people to cultivate fruit, the subject of va- 

 rieties adapted to the climate becomes yearly more and 

 more important. Although it has been somewhat exten- 

 sively discussed, the vital point, even at this time, is com- 

 paratively but little understood. That the apple, in some 

 of its varieties, can be grown wherever a crop of corn can 

 be ripened, is beyond doubt ; yet the selection of varie- 

 ties, to command success, has thus far been an item of 

 costly experiment, and to-day is but imperfectly known. 

 But one single variety, belonging to the class designated 

 by botanists as Pyrus malus, named and described in the 

 books as the Duchess of Oldenburgh, has fully stood the 

 test uninjured in all locations. Many others prove com- 

 paratively hardy ; and, as both variety as well as period 

 of maturity are required, the planter has necessarily had 



