160 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



gathered, it rots almost immediately); thus, by proper manage- 

 ment, you may have a constant succession of fruit from one. 

 season to the other. 



When there are large quantities of fruit, it will require a 

 great deal of time to lay it on the shelves, &c. this business 

 may therefore be done in wet weather, or in the evenings, when 

 you cannot conveniently spare your men from the out door work 

 in the day time. 



Those who keep their fruit in store-houses, 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 bas- 

 kets or hampers ; putting some soft paper in the bottoms and 

 round the edges of the baskets, &c. to keep the fruit from be- 

 ing 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 alter- 

 nately, 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 pack- 

 ed 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. 



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 so on, a layer of fruit and of bran alternately, till the jar 

 be full ; then shake it gently, which will make the fruit and 

 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. 



Of Packing Fruit for Carriage, 

 If fruit be to be sent to any considerable distance, great 

 care should be taken in packing it, which should not be in bas- 

 kets, as they are liable to be bruised among heavy luggage, and 

 the fruit, of course, will be injured. I would, therefore, re- 

 commend boxes made of strong deal, of different sizes accord- 

 ing to the quantity of fruit to be packed. The following are the 

 dimensions of the boxes in which we send fruit by the coach to 

 Windsor and Weymouth, for the use of his Majesty and the 

 Royal family, viz. 



