KEEPING FRUIT.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1258, 30 March 1878, Page 3

KEEPING FRUIT.

This is an important question both for fruit growers and consumers, and is at present receiving considerable attention in Europe. A number of expsriments have, within the last few years, been made by scientific men, to overcome the difficulties that stauel in the way, and some of the results of their labors are given as follows in a German horticul tural journal : "As soon as ever the flesh and juices of fruits have attained their full development, and reacheel that condition which we term

' ripeness,' the warmth, moisture, and air, which up to this point acted beneficially upon them, at once become destructive agents causing important changes in the sugar and and cellular tissue, resolving the fruit again into its constituent elements, and making it woolly, doughy, spotted and rotten. These destructive changes take place the more readily warmth, moisture, and air have access to the fruit. Our object is, therefore, to postpone them as long as possible by exclusion of air, and by the maintenance of a low temperature, not far removed from the freezing point. "In dealing with summer fruit it is difficult to postpone the date at which they reach their point of maximum ripeness, since this generally is attained while they still hang upon the tree. But in autumn fruit and winter fruit the case is different. A uniform temperature of 6 to S deg. R , such as is generally met with in cellars, is best best adapted for gradually ripening the fruit. The process is hastened by ' sweating' or by exposing to a warm, moist atmosphere, or by the presence of bruises or wounds on the skin, which admit the air to the interior of the fruit. Many experiments have been made upon this point. For example, Herr Troost, of Haoamar, kept strawberries and peaches perfectly fresh for many menths by placing them ia caverns hewn out in the Dornberg, through which a constant stream of cold air was made to pass. "The Fraucndorfcr Blatter gives smie particulars of a successful attempt t« keep plums fresh and good up to Easter. The fruit was very carefully gathered whenepjite ripe, but before it had begun to wrintle at the stalk, by cutting through the lster. Some of it was simply placed in preserve glasses; a second portion, put in siniar vessels, after having been wrapped mud with paper ; a third portion, also wrapped in paper, was placed in glazed earthenvare vessels, all of which receptacles were caofully covered with pig's bladders. A foiith portion of the plums was packed in glassjs, dry pear leaves being so distributed arrmg them that no two came into oontsct. i.ll the vessels were then buried in a hole in tie garden oft. deep, and covered over vi'h leaves, so as to be easily accessible when tie ground should be frozen hard. At the eul of the year the hole was opened, when tb plums in the earthenware jars were founc. ii pretty good preservation, though thoso a, the bottom had lost their delicate llavou The wrapped-up fruit in the glass vessel were in much better condition, and the pape in them was quite dry, while in the earthen ware ja r s it had become moist. The fruit placed in glasses without being wrapped up wero nearly half spoilt, and 1 he plums packed in dry leaves were by far the best of all. "Another very simple method by which winter apples can be kept till summer as fre«h as if they were just plucked, con&ist;; in packing them in barrels with lino dry sand the moment they are gathered. The advantages of this plan are that the sand effectually prevents the access of air, and absorbs the evaporation from the apples, so that the fruit remains quite dry. The barrels must be kept in a cool room "In years of plenty, Christ and Dittrieh recommend that hard fruits should be 'camped' in straw-lined camps in the same way as potatoes, The heaps 6ho.us beJinißbt d

off at a point, and covered over with earth to a depth of 46 centimetres when sharp weather sets in. Only the more durable and firm-fleshed, varieties, however, such as the Ilennet or Golden Apple, are suitable to this kind of treatment. Such fruit have been known to keep perfectly good in camps for more than two years. Other sorts are best kept in cellars or in rooms facing the north at a temperature just above freezing point. Fruits for cookiug purposes may be packed in boxes 2 metres long l>y 1 metre broad and about 50 centimetres in deph. The lids of these should he construct-d of laths placed so close together 'that mice, etc., cannot get through the spaces between them. Fruits thus packe 1 should have been exposed to the free air for some little time previously in a cool room, so as to allow of the evaporation of some part of the water they contain. Thpy can be taken out for use as required, the riper portion King first removed If a good fruit storeroom is at hand, the finer dessert fruits should be kept there, chloride of lime being placed in each corner of the room, so as to absorb the moisture of the atmosphere, which would otherwise injurious y affect them. The chloride can be dried from time to time when saturated with moisture, and so again fitted for use. The room must, of course, be carefully cleaned and well aired before the fruit is stored, and this should be arranged according to its degree of maturity, the ripest fruit, and that earliest requiring use, being put in front of the shelves or tables on whxoh it is ranged. Pea>-s, apples, a d the like should be pkced with the calyx downwards and the stalk upwards, and protected from air and dust by a light covering of paper. The attacks of mice mey be prevented by binding funnel-shaped cones of stiff paper or tin, with the broad opening directed downwards, round the legs of the table or stand, so *s to arrest them in their attempted ascent. The tables or .-helve* must, of course, stand 'free,'and not be placed in contact with the walls or other furniture.

"According to the researches of Berard, fruits as' they ripen give off a considerable quantity of carbon in the form of carbonic acid. It is always advisable, therefore, to take a light on entering the storeroom, so that if its extinction betray the presence of gas, a retreat may at once be effected, and the room ventilated by leaving the door open before again venturing to enter. "In camping winter fruit in the same manner as potatoes mice and worms may be kept at a distance by lining it throughout with walnut leaves, whose penetrating odour they arc utterly unable to endure."