Keeping Fruit on Trays. 441 



shrivel. Those rooms in which there is a natural 

 sand or gravel bottom ordinarily keep fruit in the 

 best condition. Cement bottoms are very apt to be 

 too dry. Running water is very often desirable in a 

 fruit cellar, not only because it furnishes moisture to 

 the air, but also because it is an equalizer of the 

 temperature. One must be cautioned, however, that 

 a cellar which is not properly ventilated will cause 

 the fruit to mold and decay, if it is wet. In gen- 

 eral, it is best to have means for supplying fresh 

 air, and then keep the cellar simply moist, not wet. 

 One should avoid drafts in the storage cellar, for 

 currents of air are very likely to cause the fruit to 

 lose moisture and to shrivel. 



Much is said about the keeping of fruit upon 

 trays in cellars rather than in barrels or crates, but 

 this must be determined by the character of the 

 cellar as to temperature and moisture. In cellars 

 which are too dry, the fruit should be left in the 

 closed packages; but if the air is moist and the tem- 

 perature very low, the fruit may be placed upon 

 racks or trays to the very best advantage. But in 

 any case, it should always be remembered that fruit 

 which has been placed in storage for a month or 

 more, should be re-sorted and re -packed before it is 

 put upon the market. It has been said (page 436) 

 that the best results in the storing of fruit are had 

 when the product is very thoroughly sorted before 

 it is put into the cellar, for even if the cellar is 

 very nearly perfect for the keeping of the fruit, any 

 over-ripe or decayed specimens will very likely break 



