THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
October 21. 
40 
assuredly a lighter flavour, though excellent; hut to be 
fair, those from the standards in our north latitude have 
a kind of snatch of the wildings in them, which, to 
some palates, is not disagreeable. 
It is to he feared that these observations will appear 
too digressive, and we must hasten back to the main 
features of our talc. There can he little doubt that 
apples, ORi)ecially the ordinary kitchen kinds, endure 
and enjoy a greater amount of danger than pears, or, 
indeed, any thin-skinned fruits. They have been well- 
preserved iu ordinary cellars, nay, in pits, or “ hogs,” 
and, indeed, much beyond their ordinary season by 
such means, but, as before observed, at the expense of 
flavour. This is, however, another argument for the 
necessity of two rooms. If we must be compelled to 
keep a general store of all kinds together, we should 
prefer a room on the north side of an existing Imilding, 
the floor about a foot above the ordinary ground level, 
and the exterior walls double, possessing a cavity of 
about six or eight inches all round the exterior. In 
the roof, we would have escapements for damp, to be 
opened at pleasure, and capable of graduation ; and wo 
would have similar openings in front, at two levels— 
one portion just above the floor, and the other near the 
top of the room. The admission of light need not be the 
means of ventilation ; windows must be, of course, pro¬ 
vided, in order to facilitate, when necessary, any arrange¬ 
ments connected with the fruit. This, however, is but 
a “lumping” of matters; whilst we write thus, we are 
perfectly assured that some fruits are the better for a 
moderate amount of moisture in the air; others the 
worse; and, as Mr. Knight observed, the same fruit at 
different periods requires varying conditions, in order 
to bring out its qualities in the highest perfection. 
Want of space prevents our pursuing this interesting 
disquisition as far as existing facts would warrant, and 
wc must pass on to consider 
The Action of the Atmosphere .—We are afraid that 
in discussing this portion of the question little heed 
will be paid by some to its importance. There can be 
little doubt, however, that it is a question worthy of 
much consideration. As for the first gathering of the 
fruit, within a couple of weeks after which the I'ruit 
undergoes what is termed sweating, a most liberal ven¬ 
tilation is necessary to ordinary fruit. Here, again, the 
propriety of having two rooms irresistibly forces itself 
on our notice. But those things accomjflished, a mode- 
]-atcd course becomes necessary; and, indeed, towards 
Christmas, rooms in general require to be hermetically 
sealed, as it were. That the more rapid the current of 
air that passes over them, the greater the detraction of 
juices from the skin of the fruit, there can be no doubt; 
but this would seem to be, in some cases, necessaiy 
to produce flavour. However, any stagnation arising 
from moisture in excess must be dissipated by such 
means, or by heat; and, as before observed, we would 
have the ordinary stores kept in a cool condition. 
Whilst, therefore, the warm room woifld seldom require 
much air, the cool or store-room would require at times 
I a liberal amount; all this determinable lu-incipally, if 
not entirely, by the character of the air within as to its 
amount of moisture. 
fAglit. —This, although not placed amongst the con¬ 
ditions for consideration, is a most important attair; in 
former days paid little attention to. Now, however, 
the importance of darkness to fruit is almost universally 
recognised; and most practical men keep their fruit- 
room shutters closed. This it was that made us suggest 
ventilation by other means than the windows, for cases 
frequently occur when a cii'culation of air without light 
is essential. Every body knows that fruit is liable 
to acquire a tendency to breed those obscure cryptogamic 
bodies commonly termed “moulds,” and that these, how¬ 
ever induced, are increased by a damp air, and by light. 
These are frequently induced by bruises; but some kinds 
of fruit show an evident predisposition to the pi'oduce ' 
of this pest. Wo have reason to believe that darkness j 
is unfavourable to its spreading, and, if so, is another ' 
reason for keeping closed shutters. Although the patience I 
of our readers may be exhausted by so much about fruit- ! 
keeping, yet we will, not confess to the subject itself 
being exhausted ; enough, however, has been said to set 
our readers thinking for themselves. ! 
R. Errixgton. i 
SENDING PLANTS TO AUSTRALIA AND 
ELSEWHERE. ; 
Tins subject occupied nearly as much of our attention j 
for the last two years, as that about bees and jioultry ; j 
and no doubt, when the flush of the diggings is over, 
and peojfle there return to their senses, their cottages, and | 
cottage gardens, we shall have an extended sale for our 
publication in those quartet's, and a new impulse will 
arise in the trade in plants between the two countries. 
Until the Isthmus of Panama is smoothed down for 
steam carriage, it is still the safest way to send plants 
round Pape Horn for the different ports in Chili and 
Peru, and the trade from I,ondon to those jiorts, as I 
shall presently show, is reported from the nurseries, 
and the last accounts from the Cape of Good H 0110 
bring whisperings of gold stores, where the old Callir 
Chiefs will one day or other join issue with General 
Cathcart himself, and his “ burgher levies,” in a different 
game, after casting their swords and spears into the 
Fish River. Here, then, is another opening, in antici- i 
jiation, for our nurseries and emigration societies to pour ! 
in their accumulated stores, to say nothing of the Indi.an : 
and China market, upon all of which it is better to | 
keep our eye than to sleep with one eye open. I w'as at i 
Oxford the other day, where I made a whole budget of 
university, or rather universal, news about gardening; | 
and having, by mere chance, got into conversation with i 
patrons of The Cottage Gardener, who were dis- j 
cussing the merits of the different ways of transmitting I 
plants to distant parts, I learned that Mr. I>ow, of the 
Clapton Nursery, was in the constant habit of executing 
orders for Australia, New Zealand, and South America; 
but to make sure of the point, I returned to London the 
same evening, all in the dark, for the jieoplo of the 
“ Great Western” do not provide lights for their second- 
class ])assengers like the South Western Company, in 
whose carriages you could read the small print edition 
of Uncle Tom’s Cabin any night in the week. I was in 
Clapton just in time to see a large case of plants ]iacked 
for New Zealand, and another one in progress for Valpa¬ 
raiso. I also saw two more orders, one for Brazil and 
another for the West Indies. The latter is to be sent 
out on Ward’s plan, and the case is to be returned with 
bread-fruit trees and others that are scarce in the trade. 
Wliat was better than all, the packer is an old play¬ 
fellow of mine, Mr. IMcDonald, a well-known gardener 
of gi'eat experience and skill; and, as a matter of course, 
he made no secret of his way of packing, which is so 
sure and effectual, that large orders are sent to Mr. I,ow 
from the most distant parts, through no other interest 
than the celebrity of his packers. Indeed, a letter was 
pointed out to me iu proof of this, from the same British 
resident in Valparaiso to whom the present consign¬ 
ment is to be sent, in which he states tliat the last plants | 
he had from Clapton arrived in as good health as when ■ 
they left Clapton, and that some of the Rhododendrons ' 
and Camellias were in full blossom when he unpacked 
them. 
From the end of September to about Christmas, Air. 
Low thinks is the best time to pack plants for such long 
journeys; but he has packed in all seasons. The case 
