The  Progress  of  Fruit  Farming. 
377 
them  in  their  own  market  with  the  Ribston  Pippin.  It  sells  in 
England  at  ol.  per  barrel.”  * Another  apple,  called  the  “ Swayzie 
Pomme  Grise grown  chiefly  in  the  Niagara  district,  has  made 
the  highest  price  obtained  for  Canadian  apples  in  England, 
as  much  as  51.  per  barrel  having  been  made  in  Covent  Garden 
Market.  | This  apple,  of  fine  aromatic  flavour,  was  probably 
introduced  into  Canada,  where  it  has  been  long  known,  from 
France.  Andre  Leroy  mentions  it  as  a dessert-apple  of  the 
highest  quality  in  his  ‘ Dictionnaire  de  Pomologie,’  and 
Dr.  Hogg  says  that  it  is  a first-rate  apple,  and  Forsyth  believes 
that  the  trees  were  brought  from  Canada  into  this  country. 
Not  only  do  the  Canadians  exercise  the  greatest  skill  in  the 
cultivation  of  apples,  but  they  understand  the  art  of  storing 
them.  The  most  approved  plan,  according  to  the  evidence 
given  to  the  Commissioners,  is  to  place  them  in  cellars  well 
drained  and  ventilated,  in  which  the  temperature  is  maintained 
at  from  32  to  35  degrees. 
In  a lecture  upon  fruit-growing  in  Massachusetts,  by  Mr. 
Slade,  he  said  that  “ one  of  the  least  expensive,  most  efficient 
and  commodious  fruit  cellars  that  I ever  examined,  comprised 
a portion  of  a barn  cellar.  It  was  under  a hay-barn  a hundred 
feet  in  length,  with  the  walls  and  floor  cemented.  There  were 
double  doors  at  the  entrance,  and  the  two  windows,  north  and 
south,  were  protected  by  shutters.  I was  in  this  cellar  early  in 
the  spring,  and  found  the  temperature  at  38°,  while  outside  it 
was  63°.  The  bins  were  filled  with  apples,  and  although  they 
exposed  to  view  125  surface  yards,  I failed  to  find  a single 
specimen  showing  any  signs  of  decay.  To  manage  a fruit 
cellar  successfully  requires  skill,  judgment,  and  a constant 
supervision.  The  light  should  be  admitted  sparingly,  the  air 
kept  pure,  and  the  temperature  low  and  uniform.”  Mr.  Brown, 
of  Lunenberg,  remarked,  in  the  discussion  upon  this  lecture,  that 
he  had  not  yet  succeeded  in  keeping  apples  in  large  quantities  all 
the  year  round,  but  that  he  could  keep  them  up  to  June  or  July.J 
The  apples  are  put  upon  wooden  shelves  in  some  cases,  though 
many  prefer  to  pack  them  in  the  barrels  as  they  are  picked, 
and  to  store  them  in  these  until  they  are  wanted.  Re-packing 
lor  market  is  well  done.  Choice  dessert-apples  are  wrapped 
singly  in  coloured  tissue-paper,  and  the  bottoms,  sides,  and 
tops  of  the  barrels  are  also  lined  with  tissue-paper.  Apples 
of  ordinary  quality  are  packed  in  buckwheat  chaff,  and  care 
is  taken  to  take  out  the  culls  and  any  fruit  that  is  unsound  or 
specky.  The  following  description  of  the  selection  and  packing 
* ‘ Report  of  the  Ontario  Agricultural  Commission  of  1SS0.’ 
t A barrel  contains  3 bushels. 
t ‘ Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Board  of  Agriculture  for  1881 
VOL.  XIX. — S.  S.  2 C 
