Keeping Pears. q^o 



no larger than to admit the light necessary in examining the fruit, and 

 should be provided with shutters, to be kept closed as much as pos- 

 sible ; or artificial light, which is less stimulating than sunlight, may be 

 used. 



Moisture condensed on the skin of pears tends to decompose it ; and 

 therefore the air should be as dry as possible, without causing the fruit to 

 shrivel. The moisture arising from evaporation may be removed by means 

 of the chloride of calcium, which absorbs twice its own weight of v.ater, 

 and can afterwards be dried over a fire, so as to be used again. If the room 

 becomes too warm from any cause, so that it is necessary to admit cold 

 air from the outside, great care should be taken to do this only when the 

 air is dry, so as to avoid the deposition of moisture on the fruit. 



The beautiful, warm, damp days of Indian Summer, in October and No- 

 vember, are the most trying time for late pears. If they can be kept 

 through this season, comparatively little difficulty will be found in keeping 

 them through the winter in a cool, dry cellar. They are often placed in 

 barrels, which are piled out doors on the north side of a building ; but I 

 would suggest placing them in a building amply provided with doors and 

 shutters, which should be opened so as to admit air freely during the night, 

 and carefully closed during the day, so as to exclude both light and heat. 

 The thermometer at this time frequently falls below freezing at night, and, 

 if the house were closed at sunrise, it would probably remain very near 

 that point through the day. It is well known that pears may be exposed 

 to a temperature a few degrees below freezing without injury, and that they 

 may safely be subjected to a temperature of less than thirty-two degrees in 

 still air, when they would be frozen in a current of air of the same tempera- 

 ture. Still, it is of the highest importance to keep them at an equable 

 temperature ; for the expansion and condensation of the juices by varia- 

 tions of heat hasten their fermentation. 



As soon as there is danger of freezing, the fruit should be removed to 

 winter-quarters. Before doing this, the specimens likely to ripen first must 

 be separated from those w-hich promise to keep longer. Pears grown on 

 an old or unhealthy tree, or a warm soil, will generally ripen sooner 

 than those from young and healthy trees, or strong, cold soils. I have 

 found it a good plan to gather fruit after the middle of the forenoon, when 



