469 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
grapes were beautiful; on one bunch, two grapes had turned 
brown, but were firm, full, and free of mold; they did not taste 
at all sour, thus differing essentially from moldy grapes, espe- 
cially those subject to Penicillium glaucum. The hair hygrometer 
in the recipient registered 98°. On December 7, the bunches of 
grapes in the recipient containing the alcohol had kept their fine 
aspect ; on most of them, however, one or two grapes had turned 
brown, and were in the same condition as those above referred to. 
On December 24, same results; on most of the bunches could 
be seen one or two grapes commencing to decay. At the end 
of nearly two months, each bunch had lost but from two to four 
grapes each and all were in a perfect state of preservation, the 
stalks being perfectly green and the grapes firm, full, and savory, 
and having all the qualities of fresh-cut grapes. 
“At the conclusion of the experiment, 28 cubic centimeters 
(17 eubie inches) of alcohol at 60° remained in the bottle out of 
the 100 eubie centimeters (61 ecubie inches) at 96°, but, as Mr. 
Petit remarks, the door of his recipient had not been built with 
great care and did not close hermetically, hence a useless con- 
sumption of alcohol. 
“This process offers many advantages. It is simple, easy of 
application, and cheap, and, if adopted by our fruit-growers, 
would allow them not only to hold their fine fruits until they can 
dispose of them ata fair price, but would also insure them hand- 
some profits during the winter months.” 
Beckwith makes the following note* upon this 
method: “For the purpose of testing the process as 
described in the above circular, two fully ripened 
branches of Norfolk grapes were placed, together 
with two ounce bottles filled with aleohol, upon a 
large pane of glass and covered with a glass bell 
jar. The grapes thus prepared were placed upon a 
table in my laboratory, where they remained until 
December 18, perfectly sound and plump in appear- 
* Bighth Ann. Rep. Del. Exp. Sta., 110, 
