Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-24
MOttester Dailp Syn
Keeping Fruit in winter.

From the Gardeners Monthly
How to ripen fruits, is branch of pomolo-
glcal knowledge as important as how to grow
them; yet it is one very little understood. 1t
is questionable whether this knowledge can be
taught; for experience shows that no rule is
applicable to all varieties alike-for some ap-
pies and pears are improved by being taken
off the trees before they are ripe, while other
kinds are best when left on the tree as long
as possible.
With regard to apples and pears-kinds of
fruit most generally understood when we talk
about preserving fruitS-the fall fruits for the
most part, are best gathered few days, or, it
may be, week, before they would drop of
their own accord from the tree; while others
ripening at the same season, are best left on
until they will scarcely bear their own weight
without falling. The Bartlett pear, for in
stance, may be gathered at least two weeks
before apparently ripe, and will mature well
in cool, shady place, and, to some tastes be
even better for it; while the Duchess DAN
gouleme is ruined by what, in the same in
stance, would be called premature gathering.
All these nice points have to be practically
determined-and the only safe general rule
can be given, that when fruit will part read
lily from the tree when gently lifted, or, when
the seeds are of a deep black color, the crop
may be gathered and stored away.
In most cases, by far too many fall-rpen-
ing varieties of fruit are planted. If the Or
chard be intended to supply family consump-
ton, the crop will not keep till all is used;
and if for market purposes, many will rot be-
fore purchasers are found for them; or more
important duties have to be neglected to give
attention to them. Where great abundance
of fall fruit exists, and it is desirable to keep
them as long as possible they should be gath
cred before fully ripe, just as the seeds are
changing color, and kept in cool, dark room
one not too dry, however-until they can
receive attention.
This GOODNESS and darkness is moreover the
main secret of keeping fruit of the winter
ripening kinds through to their proper season;
and it is In endeavoring to find the exact con-
ditions, that so many fail If too dry, they
shrivel-if too hot, they prematurely ripen,
and are worthless-if too damp, they rot and
if too cold, they are tasteless and insipid. To
just hit the mark is not easy to beginner,
and yet in practice it is found-not so difficult
as it appears to be. Some house cellars are
so constructed as to be just the suitable thing;
but the majority usually border on some one
of the extremes we have noted.
Probably the best plan for the apple, where
the fruit is perfectly sound, is to carefully
hand pick the fruit, and pack them gently in
-four barrels, being careful not to bruise them
an the least, either in filling the barrels or in
handling them afterwards. In this way they
will keepin cool cellars that are tolerably dry,
when in the same cellars they would probably
shrivel on open shelves. Where the fruit is
subject to the depredations OF the apple moth,
or to fungoid diseases, this plan is liable to
objections, as the injured fruit will decay, and
is difficult to get at the inside of the barrels;
.&s9pd if not taken out in time, considerable
6fsS0n of the fruit will be destroyed by the
Z heat evolved in putrefaction. The English
Muit rooms, which are mostly constructed
mOre with an eye to perfect fruit preserving
md ripening, than to economy of arrange
ment however, are usually made expressly
N0r fruit, and all gardens of any pretensions,
lhave the fruit room as regularly as the tool
he'd. They are usually built on the north
eide of wall, or other buildings, in order to
secure regular temperature. The walls are
thick to ensure against frost penetrating them,
and many of them have roof of straw thatch
which tends still more to keep out frost, and
Regular natural temperature insde-along
Ill four sides of the building are tiers of
ahelves, arranged one above another, like
sleeping berths of ship, and on these boards
are spread the fruit in thin layers-usually
but one course thick. Some of them have
Ventilation provided both from above and be-
low but those we have seen were not thus
III,
munication with the external air, beyond what
the doors and windows afforded. In these
rooms apples and pears kept perfectly, ripen-
ing in succession, according to their season,
and some of them keeping till apples and pears
came again.
The secret of their success undoubtedly is
the keeping up of natural temperature of
between 40 and so degrees. In our climate
this arrangement would not answer. The Sc
verify of the winters demand more protection
from low temperature than the strongest
walls would alone afford. Where dry grav-
ely bank is at command, room could be con-
structed, part beneath the surface and part
above-the exposed part covered with the
earth thrown out from below; which would
make fruit room to perfection. After all,
the keeping of fruit on large scale is not
within the wants of most of our readers, who
have hut few bushels, and in whose eyes
special fruit house would not be warranted by
the small quantity to be kept. There is then
no alternative but to make the best use of the
facilities cellars, rooms, or out-buildings af-
ford; and for this, barrels, boxes, cupboards,
and enclosed cases, must be called into re-
question:; being careful to ensure tempera-
ture of about 40 to 80 degrees, not too damp
or dry, and if somewhat dark, the better.
THENEGRo BY STARLIGHT.-I stepped aside
to give place to the conservative Kentucky
chap, who had just been denouncing the mes
sage to the Mackerel chaplain in the tent, and
was greatly outraged by the chaplains response
1t seems, my boy, that he had abruptly adj
dressed the chaplain, and says he: eff the
MESSAGE wants to make the niger the enual