PRESERVATION OF FRUITS. 93 



When the time comes to put them in the cellar, they should 

 be well dried on a sunny day, and nice clean barrels having 

 been prepared, by boring a number of half inch holes through 

 the bottom, sides, and the head of the barrel, for ventilation, 

 the apples then, two by two, should be carefully laid in, and 

 the barrels filled up till the top will just go on. 



One of the most successful raisers of fine fruit informs me of 

 his process of preserving his apples. In tlie first place, his 

 cellar is prepared as follows : A stone wall partition is made 

 near one side. The smaller division of the cellar thus made is 

 used for storing potatoes and other vegetables requiring a 

 warmer situation. The other part is called the " apple cellar." 

 This is covered on the bottom with a hard, dry cement; and 

 several swinging windows are provided, to admit air and give 

 free ventilation. All around the walls, shelves or shallow bins 

 are erected, one above another, and several tiers stand in the 

 middle of the room. The wall shelves are three feet wide, so 

 that one can stand in front of them and reach to the wall. 

 The middle shelves are double this width, as they can be 

 approached on both sides. Upon these shelves the apples are 

 spread out as thinly as the extent of shelf-room and the amount 

 of apples will allow. Usually the apples lie only two or 

 three deep. The bottoms of the shelves are made of narrow 

 boards, with half an inch space between them to allow a free 

 circulation of air. Great care is taken to regulate the opening 

 of the windows — which are of double glass — so as to keep the 

 air very nearly down to the freezing point. Usually one or 

 more of the Avindows are left open, or partly open, night and 

 day. In the coldest weather they are closed at night and 

 opened every fair day. 



In this way carefully gathered apples are kept all winter with 

 very little loss. The shelf arrangement renders it a very easy 

 matter to look over the fruit, which is done every few weeks, 

 when, any of the fruit commencing to decay, it is at once 

 removed from the room. 



Such a cellar costs but little, and, as in the instance alluded 

 to, it pays well. Where a family has but few apples, and 

 wishes to preserve a barrel or two in complete order, the best 

 way is to procure a sufficiency of sand, and dry it well by 

 setting it in kettles on a hot stove, or in a cauldron, till all the 



