The record-union., 1895-12-20
KEEPING FRUIT FRESH
Splendid Results of an Experiment 1
France.


An interesting chapter on the pres
ervation of fruit in its natural condi-
tion is contributed TO the Government
publication containing Consular re-
ports by Henry P. Du Belief, Consul al
Rheims, France.
After a statement of the increased
price of fruit out of season, Mr.. Belief
says that the solution of the question is
of the greatest interest to fruit-growers
and the result of the experiments made
in the latter part of the year 1894 and
lately reported to the Horticultural So
ciety of scissors by A. Petit, Chief OF
the Laboratory of Horticultural Re-
searches at the National Horticultural
School of Versailles, deserves the atten-
tion and consideration of fruitgrowers
throughout the United States.
Impressed with the powerful action OF
alcoholic vapors on the mold which gen
orally appears on the surface of fruits
in a damp atmosphere, Mr.. Petit no
ticed that pears and apples kept fo1
several months in a surrounding sat
urated with alcohol, and even were
they at the beginning in a state of de-
cay, showed no signs of mold, while
fruit in every particular Identical tC
the former, stored under the same con-
dtions, but not exposed to the action OF
alcoholic VaporS, were entirely covered
with it.
Taking advantage of this observation
Mr.. Petit applied the principle to the
preservation Of fruits in general, and
most particularly to grapes, because
more than others, the latter are subject
to mold II was to be foreseen that
grapes kept, from the day they are cut
off the vines, in an atmosphere Satu-
rated with vapors of water and alcohol
would, by the retarding Of the sweating
period, not only remain free from mold
but would even retain their natural as
pect Consequently, should the temper
ature be constant and low, the preSerVa-
tion could be maintained long and well
On the 31st of October, 1S94-that is
very late in the season and at very un-
favorable time-Mr. Petit placed with
other fruits and a bottle filled with 10C
cubic centimeters (61 cubic inches) of al
cohol at % degrees, some punches OF
grapes known as "ChaSselas de Fon-
tainebleau," fresh from the vine, in a
brick recipient in the form of a paral-
lelopiped, cemented inside and closed as
Theoretically as possible by common
wooden door, In two similar recipients
contiguous to the first, one of which was
kept open and the other closed, but
without alcohol were stored similar
fruits from the same trees and vines
The fruits were laid on wood shaYings
The recipients were bullt IN very
damp cellar, the temperature OF which
varied regularly from 10 degrees G
60 to 46 % degrees F.) during the
whole time the experiment lasted.
On November 10th the grapes placed
in the recipient left open, and especially
so those in the closed recipient withou,
alcohol, were mostly rotten and covered
with mold and were Immediately re-
moved In the recipient containing the
bottle of alcohol the grapes were beau
tiful; on one bunch two grapes had
turned brown, but were firm and free OF
mold: they did not taste at all sour
thus differing essentially from moldy
grapes. especially those subject to Panl-
cillium glaucum. The hair hygromete1
in the recipient registered 9S degrees
On December 7th the punches OF grapes
in the recipient containing alcohol had
kept their fine aspect; on most of them
however one or two of them had turned
brown and were in the same condition
as those above referred to. On December
24th, same results; on most or the
punches could be seen one or two grapes
commencing to decay. At the end o1
nearly two months each bunch had loS1
but from two to four each and all were
in a perfect state of preservation, the
stalks being perfectly green and the
grapes Ifll, Lull anu 50 Toi eiid nc ''-e
all the qualities of fresh-cut grapes.
At the conclusion of the experiment z
cubic centimeters 01 cubic inches) OF
alcohol at 90 degrees remained in the
bottle out of the 100 centimeterS (6l
cubic inches) at 90 degrees, but, as Mr.
Petit remarks, the door of this recipient
had not been built with great care anc
did not close hermetically, hence use
less consumption of alcohol.
This process offers many advantages
1t is simple, easy of application ano
cheap. and, if adopted by our fruit
growers, would allow them not only tc
! hold their fine fruits until they can dis
pose of them at a fair price, but woulc
| also insure them handsome profits dur
! ing the winter months.