The Canadian Horticulturist. 



377 



FRUIT HOUSES AND FRUIT ROOMS. 



UCH houses may be constructed at moderate expense, 

 which, with properly selected varieties, will afford fruit 

 through nearly the whole year, if the circle is com- 

 pleted by early cherries and early strawberries. It 

 is not necessary to employ ice for maintaining a low 

 temperature in hot weather, such houses being adapted 

 to large establishments, and requiring constant care and 

 much skill in their management. For the smaller and 

 cheaper structure the essential requisites are non-conducting walls and ventilating 

 windows, provision being made for the admission of cool air on cool nights, to 

 maintain a temperature slightly above freezing, and thus preventing decay during 

 warm seasons. With such a provision we have found no difficulty in keeping 

 such apples as the Baldwin and Newton Pippin, through winter and into the 

 middle of June, and such winter pears as Nelis, Lawrence and Malines into 

 February and March. A common practice is to erect a frame of six-inch studs, 

 and cover both sides of these with boards, filling the space between the boards 

 with sawdust ; but a better way is to nail on the building-paper studs before the 

 boards are applied, the studs being placed just far enough apart to give a slight 

 lap to the paper as the rolls are successively applied. The sawdust is omitted, 

 as it is liable to cause crevices by setting, and to be attacked by rats and mice. 

 If this air space and the two covers with boards and building-paper are not 

 sufficient to make a good non-conducting wall, nail vertical strips on each lath 

 and add another covering of paper and another boarding. The roof is to be 

 made con-conducting in a similar way, and the room is to be protected with 

 double doors and double windows. The natural heat from the earth floor, with 

 these protecting walls, will prevent the room from freezing. Fig. 393 in illustra- 

 tion represents the cross-section of a fruit-room, showing the ventilation. The 

 dotted lines and arrows show the entrance of the cold air at a side window, and 



Fruit ll< use and Fruit Room 



Fl«:. :<!I4. 



