278 Horticultural Implements, Appliances, etc. 



Improved Fhcjit Shelves. — The stocks of winter pears I had 

 the pleasure of seeing in some French gardens were remarkably fine 

 in many instances; but, in one case, the mode of storing them m 

 the fruit room was so superior that I have devoted a couple of 

 figures to illustrating it. Instead of being confined to wide shelves 

 or benches all round, as is usually the case, there were several sets 

 of shelves arranged along the room — rather narrow, sloping oak 

 shelves— supported by oak uprights. These shelves are wide 

 enough for five rows of pears on each side, and on such a slope that 



Fig. 95. 



the pears rise gradually, line after line, so thaf the eye could see 

 each fruit with ease, without handling or disturbing any, and of 

 course this was a great gain. But the careful constructor had gone 

 further, by making the slight concavity upon which each line of 

 pears rested of tw^o laths, so that the air could flow up beneath them. 

 No single fruit was allowed to touch its fellow, and thus they were 

 in a very much better condition than in the British fruit-room 

 wl5,ere all are frequently packed tight together, and the good ones 



