"E. W. W." of Yantic, Conn., writes: "I have been unable to find any published article on 'Fruit Rooms/and the generally accepted plan for preserving pears and grapes into the late fall or even winter. Such an article with full directions for building would, I believe, be appreciated".

It has been found of little use to offer to others exact plans of fruit rooms suitable to any one person's wants, and hence it is not attempted in books and seldom in periodicals in recent times, but there are certain general principles of use to everybody, which it may be of service to give here.

Fruit houses are for preserving apples, pears or grapes, but chiefly the two former, and especially the first. The conditions for perfect success vary somewhat in each case, and hence if one would be perfect, he should have a separate house for each class. If one be a fruit grower on a large scale he would certainly do this, but in a general way when we are asked how best to build a fruit house, it is taken for granted that the inquirer is an amateur, who wants a house suited to the wants of his family, and in which the products of his garden and orchard can be preserved as long as possible, and be within reach whenever wanted. It must be a sort of omnibus, capable of containing all his fruit of whatever kind.

Now the enemies of the fruit-keeper are, heat, moisture, and frost. The fruit room must not go below the freezing point, nor must the temperature go much higher, the aim being to keep it below 450 if possible. No condensation of moisture must take place within the building, and there must be means provided for ventilation, that is, to let out the superabundant moisture that may evaporate from the fruit, or admit colder air should the temperature get too dry. The apple will bear more moisture than the grape, and the grape than the pear. Some fruit-keepers think darkness favorable to the preservation of fruit, but we have not noticed any disadvantage in light, and should certainly have light enough to see everything clearly in the room.

In order to be safe from frost, some have arrangements for a little artificial heat in very severe weather, but to our mind it is better without. It is very difficult to know just what the low temperature may be, and we may sometimes have the heat too high, or the temperature get too low. This will be liable to occur, if even the owner himself take in hand to watch the thermometer, and much more likely if the matter is left to the discretion of some employee. To make absolutely safe against frost, it was at one time the fashion to build the fruit room in part or wholly below ground; but they so often became too damp and too warm, that few do this now, though we do not know why it might not be made proof against these dangers, if some judgment were displayed in the construction. The most approved method is to have the building wholly above ground, and to have double or treble walls. In climates where the temperature does not go much below zero, a well-constructed double wall, with double doors and double window sash, would be quite safe. For greater security, supposing the walls to be wood, the inside faces of the double wall should be lined with felt. The roof also must be double, with a provision for a ventilator, if it should be found necessary to use one.

This, however, may not be required, if windows are so arranged that there can be a current of air passed through now and then. Air, how- ever, should not be given, except when the tern-perature outside equals that within, or there will be a troublesome condensation of moisture, which is what we try to avoid. The interior should be a mass of shelves on which the fruit is to be spread, and so arranged as to be easy of access to observe and to handle the fruit. The fruit may be several courses thick on the shelves, even heaped without injury, provided we secure the best conditions for preserving them. Hay may be placed over the fruit if there is danger of frost penetrating; but this should be avoided if possible, because a fruit house should be a show house equal to a greenhouse of pretty flowers; and there is no more beautiful sight in the world, to which to invite a friend, than a well-ordered fruit house, with every one of the varieties on its own separate shelf, and presenting to the beholder the most glorious reasons for its existence.

Of course, if the full measure of pleasure in fruit growing is not desired; if we feel on a level with the beast that perisheth, and only want to lay up something to eat, in as cheap and secure a way as possible, the fruit may be carefully selected to see that no "specked" ones are included, packed in barrels and "stowed away anywhere in a cool place secure from frost," as the books have it.

We have given here a sketch of such a fruit house as we have in our mind, though seen some years since. Some of our readers may know of something that would give some additional suggestion for which we should be glad to make room.

A fruit house for preserving fruits on a large scale by those who want to grow for market might also be desirable to many, and though these must be based on the principles we have laid down, there must be later modifications in some fruit centers of which it would be very interesting to know.