OF GATHERING APPLES AND PEARS. 311 



Straw, by imbibing the moisture from the decayed 

 fruit, will become tainted, and communicate a dis- 

 agreeable taste to the sound fruit. 



I would likewise caution those who erect new 

 shelves in their fruit-rooms, to have the timber well 

 seasoned, and to make use of white deal in pre- 

 ference to red, as the latter, especially if not very 

 well seasoned, is apt to give a very disagreeable re- 

 sinous taste to the fruit, which quite spoils its fla- 

 vour. I would, therefore, recommend covering 

 the bottoms of the shelves with thin coarse canvas, 

 (such as may be purchased for about eight or ten 

 pence a yard,) on which the fruit should be laid in 

 a single layer, after being wiped very dry ; but by no 

 means lay them a-top of one another. When that is 

 done, cover them with a piece of the same canvas, 

 or thin flannel, or with old newspapers, or whitish 

 brown paper, which will in a great measure exclude 

 the air, prevent the frost from injuring the fruit, 

 and preserve a beautiful smoothness on its skin. 

 The fruit should be turned two or three times during 

 the Winter 5 as delicate and tender fruit, by lying 

 long without turning, is apt to rot on the underside, 

 even if perfectly sound when laid up. Be particu- 

 larly careful, however, to pick out all the damaged 

 fruit. 



When the fruit is laid in, put the earliest sorts on 

 the lower shelves, or in the lower drawers, accord- 

 ing to their time of coming in, beginning with the 

 Nonsuch, Golden Rennet, and Jenneting Apples, 

 and Bergamot and Beurre Pears (for 1 find by ex- 



X 4< 



