In all cases the fruit is plucked with the hand, and great care taken to avoid bruising. For collecting the fruit from half standard and full standard trees, a step-ladder is em ployed. This ladder may he so contrived that time back shall come away by removing a bolt. The same ladder may thus he used for high wall-trees ; but in this case two rods of iron should be made to project six or eight inches from the top, to keep it from resting on the branches of the trees, and injuring them.
246. Hitt's method of keeping pears may be shortly men tioned. Having prepared a number of earthen-ware jars, and a quantity of dry moss (different species of hypnum and sphagnum,) he placed a layer of moss and of pears al ternately till the jar INZS filled ; a plug was then inserted, and scaled around with melted rosin. These jars were sunk in dry sand to the depth of a foot ; preferring a deep cellar for keeping them, to any fruit-room.
247. Miller's plan may also be noticed. After sweating and wiping, in which operations great care must be taken not to bruise the fruit, the pears are packed in close bas kets, having some wheat-straw in the bottom and around the sides to prevent bruising, and a lining of thick soft pa per to hinder the musty flavour of the straw from infecting the fruit. Only one kind of fruit is put in each basket, as the process of maturation is more or less rapid in different kinds. A covering of paper and straw is fixed on the top, and the basket is then deposited in a dry room, secure against the access of frost, " and the less air is let into the room, the better the fruit will keep." A label should be attached to each basket, denoting the kind of fruit ; for the basket is not to be opened till the fruit be wanted for use.
248. Mr James Stewart, an experienced gardener at Pinkie, in Scotland, has long preserved his choice apples and pears in glazed earthen-ware jars, provided with tops or covers. In the bottom of the jars, and between each layer of fruit, he puts some pure pit sand which has been thoroughly dried on a flue. The jars are kept in a dry airy situation, as cool as possible, but secure from frost. A label on the jar indi cates the kind of fruit ; and when this is wanted or ought to be used, it is taken from the jars, and placed for some time on the shelves of the fruit-room. The less ripe fruit is sometimes restored to the jars, but with newly dried sand. In this way he preserves colmarts and other fine French pears till April ; the terling till June ; and many kinds of apples till July, the skin remaining smooth and plump. Others, who also employ earthen-ware jars, wrap
each fruit in paper, and in place of sand use bran.
249. Mr Ingram at 'lorry in Scotland, a very intelli gent gardener, has succeeded uncommonly well in the ma-' nagement of the fruit room. For winter pears lie finds two apartments requisite, a colder and a warmer ; but the former, though cold, must be free of damp. From it the fruit is brought into the warmer room as wanted ; and by means of increased temperature, maturation is promoted, and the fruit rendered delicious and mellow. Chaurnontels, for example, are placed in close drawers, so near to a stove, that the temperature may constantly be between 60° and 70° Fahr. For most kinds of fruit, however, a tempera ture equal to 55° is found sufficient. The degree of heat is accurately determined, by keeping small thermometers in several of the ft nit-drawers, at different distances from the stove. The drawers are about six inches deep, three feet long, and two broad ; they are made of hard wood, fir be ing apt to spoil the flavour of the fruit. They are frequent ly examined, in order to give air, and to observe the state of the fruit, it being wiped when necessary. Mr Ingram remarks, that, in Scotland particularly, late pears should have as much of the tree as possible, even although some frost should supervene ; such as ripen freely, on the other hand, are plucked rather before they reach maturity.
250. Winter apples are generally left on the trees till there be danger of frost. They are then gathered, when dry, as formerly noticed ; and are laid in heaps, and covered with mats or straw, or short grass well dried. Here they lie for a fortnight or more, tomcat, as it is called, or to discharge some of the juice of their skin, which thus con tracts in a certain degree. After this they are wiped dry a woollen cloth, and placed in the fruit-room. Some times, when intended for winter dessert fruit, they are made to undergo a farther sweating, and are again wiped and picked ; they are then laid singly on the shelves, and co vered with paper. Here they are occasionally turned, and . such as shew any symptoms of decay are immediately re moved. Baking fruit is kept in a close but cool place, where the temperature undergoes little variation. It is found to be advantageous to keep each sort separate. Sometimes apples and pears for baking are kept in baskets or hampers. Thick paper is considered a better material for lining and covering such baskets or hampers than straw, and straw is better than hay.