Fruit Storing.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue XXXII, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

Fruit Storing.

, The French have a Storing, oalled 'Fruit , ier Dombasie,' which consists in storing . the fruits iu white wood boxes, larger or j smaller, according to the space at disposal and the quantity of fruit to be stored; the , boxes may be deep enough to take two or more layers of fruit without pressing the j layers upon each other. The boards of I which the boxes are made must be par- . fectly smooth uniform in size, with level edges, so that the bottom of one box may t serve as a cover to the box beneath. When filled, these are stacked in tiers in ; any dry place, to any height required, having a cover to fit the top of each tier. Each box should be labelled with species and names of its contents. The fruit is placed naked (a uu). that is to say, without any wrapping up (the straw employed by many persons only resulting in heating the fruit, and hastening its maturity and decay.) The storing room must be neither too hot nor too cold, perfectly free from damp, and as free from draughts as possible. Experience has proved that the above method has had the very best results. The fruit must be throughly dry before being packed iu tho boxes ; to insure this, it should be placed, when gathered, in an airing room, and left for three days. There are modifications of this method. Sir Joseph Paxtou, among others, recommends the following ; Iu gathering, keep each sort separate, and handle with the greatest care, as upon this the preservation very much depends. Codling and other kitchen apples likely to shrivel must be laid carefully in small heaps, and covered with straw ; they will thus keep longer without shrivelling. The best material on which to lay apples or pears is straw or fern (bracken), pefectly dry and free from mouldiness, in a dry room or cellar. For the most valuable latekeeping apples or pears the following plan cannot be too strongly recommended : Get some fine pit-sand, and make it quite hot, to dry it, and to destroy any vege~ table germs it may contain ; then procure some large jars or garden pots, put a little sand, when cool, in the bottom (having, of course, first stopped up the hole in the bottom of the flower pots (then a layer of apples or pears, barely touching each other, sprinkling sand between them, and so on until the vessels are full, when they can be placed in the bottom of a cupboard, or anywhere out of the frost or damp. The best and most perfect fruit should be ehosen for this purpose, some time after it has b«eu gathered. All choice fruit intended for exhibition should be preserved in this manner. Flower pots are preferable to brown stone jars, because the former are slightly porous ; but the boxes are best of all, because they are light and portable, and one box can bo easily taken out when required without disturbing the packing of I the others ; and lastly, they also take up leso space when piled one on top of the other.—Qupen.