By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. 195 



the remainder continue sound and firm till March or April, or 

 later ; and the same warm temperature which preserves the 

 Grape in a slightly shrivelled state, till January, rapidly 

 accelerates the maturity, and consequent decay, of the Pear. 

 By gathering a part of my Swan's Egg Pears early in the 

 season (selecting such as are most advanced towards matu- 

 rity,) and subjecting them, in the manner above mentioned, 

 to artificial heat, and by retarding the maturity of the later 

 part of the produce of the same trees, I have often had that 

 fruit upon my table nearly in an equal state of perfection, 

 from the end of October to the beginning of February ; but 

 the most perfect, in every respect, have been those which 

 have been exposed in the vinery to light and artificial heat, 

 as soon as gathered. 



The most successful method of preserving Pears and 

 Apples, which I have hitherto tried, has been placing them in 

 glazed earthen vessels, each containing about a gallon (called 

 provincially, steens,) and surrounding each fruit with paper ; 

 but, it is probable, that the chaff of oats, if free from mois- 

 ture or any offensive smell, might be used with advantage, 

 instead of paper, and with much less expense or trouble. 

 These vessels being perfect cylinders, about a foot each in 

 height, stand very conveniently upon each other, and thus 

 present the means of preserving a large quantity of fruit in 

 a very small room ; and if the spaces between the top of one 

 vessel, and the base of another, be filled with a cement com- 

 posed of two parts of the curd of skimmed milk, and one of 

 lime, by which the air will be excluded, the later kinds of 

 Apples and Pears will be preserved with little change in 

 their appearance, and without any danger of decay, from 



