GATHERING AND STORING. 143 



nor any means of artificial heat, but, if properly construc- 

 ted, rely upon the double walls, with the intervening air 

 space, to maintain the required temperature. No anxiety 

 need be felt if the temperature should fall two or three 

 degrees below the freezing-point during a continued frost ; 

 but in such case, when the thaw sets in, keep the room 

 close for some time afterwards, and allow the temperature 

 to gradually rise. Any sudden change of temperature will 

 affect the fruit more than anything else. The shelves in 

 such a house may be tolerably close together say one 

 foot from shelf to shelf as the fruit should be placed 

 thinly upon them, not more than two layers, one above 

 the other. We have a fruit room so constructed at our 

 nurseries, from which we have been able to exhibit large 

 collections of fruit late in the spring. The shelves in 

 this room are made with close boards, upon which a 

 thin layer of clean wheat straw is spread for the fruit to 

 rest upon. Many people advocate open lattice shelves, 

 in which case no straw is required. Where many shelves 

 are placed one above another, at a considerable height, 

 it is a convenient plan to make the upper ones to slide 

 out in sections, like drawers, for the convenience of plac- 

 ing, examining, or removing the fruit as required. Make 

 it a point to label each variety. 



As to gathering, allow the late varieties to remain on 

 the trees as long as possible, and they will not be dam- 

 aged even by a few degrees of frost. Many people, 

 alarmed by the falling of some of the fruit, gather their 

 apples much too early. If these fallen fruits be carefully 

 examined, the bulk of them will be found to be maggoty 

 and diseased, and even if some sound fruits are blown 

 down, it is better to spoil a few of these early in the 

 season, when fruit is plentiful, than to spoil the bulk 



