KEEPING PEAES DT A GREENHOUSE 69 



of slate over it, and stow them away in a darkish closet 

 where they cannot get the frost. 



' Open the jars now and then, to see how they are 

 getting on. 



' Do not put more than one sort in the same jar if 

 you can help it. Mind — the warmer they are kept, the 

 faster they will ripen.' 



KEEPING PEAES IN A GEEENHOUSE 



Pears may be kept in a greenhouse, in great perfection, 

 aU the autumn. 



The greenhouse in which this experiment was tried 

 is a lean-to house with a south-west aspect, twMve feet 

 wide, with a path in the centre, a bench in front of 

 common slates laid on wooden bars. The pears were 

 laid on the front bench, the glass over them shaded till 

 the end of November, and the house ventilated; in 

 severe frosts the temperature was kept just above 

 freezing. The autumn and early winter pears under 

 this treatment ripened slowly, and were of excellent 

 flavour. 



After aU, I think there is no better material for 

 preserving pears plump and sound than dry burnt 

 earth ; this never turns musty, never ferments, but 

 seems to remain under all circumstances perfectly inno- 

 cuous. 



