THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
285 
grapes will be destroyed. However, it may be renewed by dusting 
some fine flower over the berries, holding the bunch by the stalk or 
stem during the operation. Beech and hazel flowers can easily be 
procured. They should be collected soon after they have fallen 
from the trees, and put into an airy room to be thoroughly dried 
before they are used. 
Bran. — When this material can be procured, it will, perhaps, 
answer equally as well as the former ; aud, being of a finer nature, 
it will more readily fill up the crevices between the fruit. 
Canvas. — This material has been strongly recommended by 
some, with a view to prevent any dust from settling on the fruit. 
It also tends to prevent their evaporation, by preventing the air 
from acting on them. 
Sealing-Wax.— This is much employed in France, and other 
parts of the Continent, for preserving pears. It is applied by 
sealing up the end of the stalk as you would seal up a letter, only 
not putting quite so much on. In this way fruit is preserved for 
some time. 
Hay, Straw, and Fern. — These have been used for a long time 
for covering pears and apples in the fruit-room, and likewise for 
packing ; but I consider them coarse for packing, when other 
materials of a lighter nature can be procured. 
Pitting. — Apples may be kept in pits after the manner of 
potatoes ; we have seen this practice both in France and England 
with success ; but the fruit does not keep long after it is taken out ; 
consequently only a small quantity should be taken out at one 
time, aud the pit should be instantly closed up, to prevent the 
admission of air. Apples in this manner will be found quite sound 
and good in the months of May and June, or even July, if they 
have been pitted in a careful manner, all bruised ones being rejected, 
which would destroy the others. A little powdered charcoal should 
be carefully sifted over the apples as they are laid up, which should 
bo done in regular layers. The charcoal absorbs any moisture that 
is given off by the apples, and keeps all cool. After this is done, 
take some clean wheat-straw, or hay', and lay it over the fruit, to the 
thickness of a foot, fastening it down with ropes made of the same 
material, then cover them up with earth to the depth of another 
foot. The covering will prevent any change in the atmosphere from 
reaching the apples. The operation should be performed in dry 
weather. 
Preserving fruits on detached shoots has been adopted with 
but little success. The experiment was tried with grapes, which 
were detached from the main branch, a piece of the shoot, about 
a foot long, being cut with the bunch. Some were immersed jin 
bottles of water, others were suspended in the fruit-room, and 
part were left on the shoots in the vinery. It was found that those 
in the vinery kept as long as the others. A good plan is to cut the 
bunches, and turning them upside down, suspend them in a room 
with a steady temperature a little above 32°. Another method is 
to cut off the bunches, with a foot of the stem on each side of the 
bunch, sealing up the cut ends with sealing-wax, and suspending 
September. 
