500 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



twentieth part of bees' wax in it. As the object is effectually to keep out air (the cause 

 of putrefaction), the jars, if earthen, may be set on diy sand, which put also between, 

 round, and over them, to a foot thick on the top. In all close storing, observe, there 

 should be no doubt of the soundness of the fruit. Guard, in time, from frost those that 

 lie open. Jars of fruit must be soon used after unsealing." 



2631. Sweating and storing apples and pears as practised by Forsyth. " When the 

 fruit is carried to the fruit-room, lay some of the dry short grass on the floor, in the area 

 of the room ; then take the fruit gently out of the baskets, and lay it in heaps on the top 

 of the grass, keeping each sort in a separate heap ; the heaps may be from two to three 

 feet high, or according to the quantity of fruit that you have. When the heaps are com- 

 pleted, cover the tops at least two inches thick with short grass, in order to sweat them. 

 Let them lie a fortnight, then open the heaps and turn them over, wiping each apple or 

 pear with a dry woollen cloth, which should be frequently dried during the process, 

 observing now to lay in the middle the fruit which before was at the top. Let the heaps 

 now remain eight or ten days, covered as before ; by that time, they vdW have thrown out 

 the watery crudities which they may have imbibed during a wet season ; then uncover the 

 heaps, and wipe the fruit carefully one by one, as before, picking out every one that is 

 injured, or has the least spot, as unfit for keeping. During the time that the fruit is 

 sweating, the windows should be left open, except in wet and foggy weather, t© admit the 

 air to carry off the moisture which perspires from the fruit. The perspiration will some- 

 times be so great, that, on putting your hand into the- heap, it will come out as wet as if 

 it had been dipped into a pail of water : when in this state it will be necessary to turn and 

 wipe the fruit." 



2(i32. In laying up fruit, the common practice has been, to lay it on clean wheat-straw ; but I find, by- 

 experience, that, when any of the fruit begins to decay, if it be not immediately picked out, the straw, 

 by imbibing the moisture from the decayed fruit, will become tainted, and communicate a disagreeable 

 taste to the sound fruit. " The fruit on shelves," he adds, " should be turned two or three times during 

 the winter ; as delicate and tender fruit, by lying long witliout turning, is apt to rot on the underside, 

 even if perfectly sound when laid up. Be particulaily careful, however, to pick out all the damaged fruit. 

 When the fruit is laid in, put the earliest sorts on ihe lower shelves, or in the lower drawers, according to 

 their time of coming in, beginning with the nonsuch, golden rennet, and Jenneting apples, and bergaraot 

 and beurr^ pears ; thus, by proper management, you may have a constant succession of fruit from one 

 season to the other. Those who keep their fruit in storehouses, for the supply of the London and other 

 markets, as well as those who have not proper fruit-rooms, may keep their apples and pears in baskets or 

 hampers ; putting some soft paper in the bottoms and round the edges of the baskets, &c., to keep the fruit 

 from being bruised ; then put in a layer of fruit, and over that another layer of paper ; and so on, a layer of 

 fruit and of paper alternately, till the basket or hamper be full : cover the top with paper three or four 

 times double, to exclude the air and frost as much as possible. Every different sort of fruit should be 

 packed separately ; and it will be proper to fix a label to each basket or hamper, with the name of the 

 fruit that it contains, and the time of its being fit for use." 



2633. But the best way of keeping fruit, is to pack it in glazed earthen jars. " The pears or apples must 

 be separately wrapped up in soft paper ; then put a little well-dried bran in the bottom of the jar, 

 and over the bran a layer of fruit ; then a little more bran to fill up the interstices between the fruit, and 

 to cover it; and soon, a layer of fruit and bran alternately, till the jar be full ; then shake it gently, 

 which will make the fruit aiid bran sink a little ; fill up the vacancy at top with more bran, and lay some 

 paper over it, covering the top with a piece of bladder to exclude the air; then put on the top or cover 

 of the jar, observing that it fits as closely as possible. These jars should be kept in a room where you can 

 have a fire in wet or damp weather." 



2634, NicoVs opinion as to the sweating of fruits is thus given : " I consider it an error 

 to sweat apples, as it is termed, previous to storing them, either in the common way, with 

 straw or hay, or as recommended by Forsyth, by the use of short grass. The fruit ever 

 after retains a bad flavor. It should never be laid in heaps at all ; but if quite dry 

 when gathered, should be immediately carried to the fruit-room, and be laid, if not 

 singly, at least thin on the shelves ; the room being properly fitted up with shallow 

 shelves on pxirpose, being well aired, and having a stove in it, that damp may be dried 

 off when necessary." He adds, " If the finer fruits are placed on any thing else than a 

 clean shelf, it should be on fine paper. Brown paper gives them a flavor of pitch. The 

 finer large kinds of pears should not be allowed even to touch one another, but should 

 be laid quite single and distinct. Apples, and all pears, should be laid thin ; never 

 tier above tier. Free air should be admitted to the fruit-room always in good weather, for 

 several hours every day ; and in damp weather a fire should be kept in. Be careful 

 at all times to exclude the frost from the fruit, and occasionally to turn it when very 

 mellow." 



2635. Gathering and storing nuts. Walnuts are generally beat off the tree with poles ; 

 but it does not appear that any harm would result to the fruit from leaving them to drop, 

 or be shaken off by winds, or in part shaking them off. Sweating may be applicable to 

 them, in order to the more ready separation of the outer or soft skin from the hard shell. 

 This effected, they are to be spread thin till quite dry, when they may be preserved in bins, 

 or boxes, or heaps. 



2&36. Walnuts for keeping, Forsyth observes, " should be suffered to drop of themselves, and afterwards 

 laid in an open airy place till they are thoroughly dried ; then pack them in jars, boxes or casks, with 

 fine clean sand, that has been well dried in the sun, in an oven, or before the fire, in layers of sand and 

 walnuts alternately ; set them in a dry place, but not where it is too hot. In this manner, I have kept 



