FRUIT STORAGE 107 



The painting is very important, as it preserves the 

 ceiling from the disastrous swelling and shrinking 

 which it would otherwise inevitably suffer through 

 taking up the moisture given off by the stored fruit. 



If still greater pains are to be taken to make a wall 

 impervious to heat two dead-air spaces are provided. 

 These are secured by running furring strips along the 

 sides of the studs between the outer and inner walls, 

 and by lathing and plastering on these. When such a 

 wall is built it is best to make the studs 2 x 6. Such a 

 wall costs considerably more ; but it is very much safer 

 and well worth the extra expense. 



Ventilation is secured only by means of windows 

 in the houses commonly built. Even these are fre- 

 quently placed with less regard to the currents of air 

 which they will furnish than to the appearance which 

 they will make on the outside of the building. Win- 

 dows ought to be fewer and properly constructed venti- 

 lators more numerous — the fewer windows the better, 

 in fact. 



A ventilating system consists of an intake for cold 

 air and an outlet for warm air, the two being properly 

 disposed with reference to each other, and so arranged 

 as to serve all parts of the room. The cold air should 

 be admitted near the bottom of the room, or should 

 be conducted there by suitable guides. Perhaps the 

 ideal arrangement is to have the intake brought in 

 beneath the floor, and to have the cold air brought up 

 through registers at such points as may seem best. 

 The warm- air exit must be placed in the upper part of 

 the room. It acts much like a chimney, and the draft 

 in it will be good or bad in accordance with the same 



