198 THE GRAPE CULTURIST. 



A cool and steady temperature should be maintained, 

 and if it could be kept between 35 and 40 there would 

 be but very little trouble in keeping the fruit, even if 

 but little care were given to the packing. Very few per- 

 sons have a room or cellar that can be kept so cool as 

 40 ; consequently more care is necessary in gathering, 

 packing, etc. 



A warm, damp atmosphere is very injurious, as it 

 will soon cause the grapes to rot ; but the presence of 

 considerable moisture will do no harm, provided the 

 temperature is low ; but, unfortunately, very few per- 

 sons, except fruit growers who have erected cold storage 

 rooms or cellars expressly for such purposes, have any 

 place but a common cellar in which to keep their grapes, 

 and, as a result, they soon wither and are worthless. 

 Our native grapes, as a whole, are not good keepers; 

 their porous skin, a little thin juice, and much tough 

 pulp around the seeds, is not the best form of fruit to be 

 preserved for any considerable time after gathering, but 

 with what is called cold storage, or where the tempera- 

 ture can be kept down to near the freezing point, some 

 of the tough skin varieties may be preserved in fair con- 

 dition for two or three months, but rarely longer. The 

 more meaty fleshed foreign varieties, like the Malaga 

 grape, is sent to this country in immense quantities ; 

 although very inferior in quality, it is of large size, and 

 has a hard, plum-like flesh, which will resist rough 

 handling and remain sound and firm for months in cool 

 weather. The more delicate the fruit, the less valuable 

 for keeping or sending long distances to market ; and 

 this is not only true with grapes, but with nearly all the 

 larger fruits and many vegetables. 



Sawdust is often used in packing the Malaga grapes 

 which are so common in our markets ; but the flavor of 

 the grapes is always injured more or less by it, giving 

 them a strong, woody taste. Cork-dust is far better than 



