FRUIT CULTURE IN FRANCE 



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district. If gathered too soon, they shrivel ; too late, they do not keep well. 

 The gathering of grapes in the neighbourhood of Paris is done at the beginning 

 of October. Choose good weather for this work. 



Preservation of Fruit. — Choose fine and healthy fruit. As for the place 

 for storing, it must be wholesome, and have thick walls covered with squares of 

 cork ; it will thus be less subject to changes of temperature. Humidity is counter- 

 acted by having limestone, chloride of calcium, or alcohol placed about in flat 



Column-Shaped Pear Tree, 

 Two Years Old 



A Typical Column-Shaped 

 Pear Tree 



dishes. The temperature should be from 2 to 7 degs. centigrade. Light and air 

 are factors which assist maturation ; it is well, therefore, to restrict their influence. 

 Packing. — Baskets or boxes (according to the distance the fruit is to be sent) 

 are best. The materials employed should be light, inodorous, and bad conductors 

 of heat. 



PRINCIPAL FORMS FOR OPEN-AIR CULTURE 



Of natural-growing {i.e. untrained) trees there are (of those on short stems) 

 pyramids, spindle, and vase-shaped, and (on tall stems) the standard. Of trained 

 trees the most important are the various palmate-shaped, U-shaped, vertical and 



