Notes and Gleanings. 47 



this house, and that preserved beyond its season in a common ice-house ; viz., 

 that the former was longer in ripening, and kept longer when ripe, than that 

 which had never been in the house ; while fruit preserved in an ordinary ice- 

 house is well known to perish as soon as removed. Perhaps, however, this dif- 

 ference would not be so great in fruit taken from the house in warm weather ; for 

 it will be noted that nearly all that mentioned above was removed from the 

 house in winter. 



The above statements were made at a meeting of the Cambridge Horticultu- 

 ral Society, in February, 1868, and of course refer to the crop of 1867. The 

 accounts in regard to the last year's crop are not so favorable ; but this is said 

 to be largely owing to the want of care on the part of those in charge of the 

 house in maintaining a uniform temperature and degree of moisture. Constant 

 care and vigilance in regard to these points is absolutely necessary, — quite as 

 much, or more so, as in managing a greenhouse. 



The principles upon which the flavor and fragrance of fruit depend are ex- 

 tremely volatile, and, with all the attention that could be given, fruit-growers had 

 previously failed to do any thing more than to keep the winter pears a month 

 beyond the usual time of ripening in an ordinary cellar ; but summer and autumn 

 pears, such as Bartlett, Seckel, or Louise Bonne of Jersey, have never before been 

 kept in perfect order until January or February. But those who expect to keep 

 fruit perfectly, without the utmost care in gathering and handling, and the most 

 scrupulous attention to neatness and cleanliness, as well as to the general man- 

 agement of the house, will certainly be disappointed. 



We may add that specimens of fruit taken from the house at Cambridge, 

 April 10, 1867, were carried to England by Mr. Wilder, and presented to Mr. 

 Rivers, by whom they were tested at a dinner-party, on the 23d of the same 

 month, exciting much gratification and surprise at their perfect preservation ; 

 some of Mr. Rivers's guests being at first rather incredulous of his statement, 

 that, besides having been kept over from the previous season, they had made a 

 voyage across the Atlantic. 



We hope soon to give an article from Mr. Hovey on this subject, and the 

 general principles of fruit-keeping ; and would be glad to hear from our cor- 

 respondents and others in different parts of the country, in regard to these 

 houses, as well as their success in keeping fruit by other methods. 



Tokay Frontignan Grape. — It is doubtful whether this is not an old va- 

 riety of grape newly named. Mr. Rivers describes it in his last fruit-catalogue 

 as having berries round, medium-sized, juicy, with a rich Muscat flavor ; a great 

 bearer, and early ; cool vinery or wall ; and, from what we know of it, we think 

 it identical with the White Frontignan, of which there are two sorts, the one 

 very closely resembling Chasselas Musque, and, like it, subject to crack ; whilst 

 the other is not so liable to crack, but is much given to shank, and comes in two 

 or three weeks earlier Both are very desirable grapes. — Eiig. your, of Hort. 



