charcoal, which we sometimes use, does this in a very remarkable manner. We divide our preserving chamber into separate apartments (in the drawing [Fig. 2] there are four, which we think sufficient for ordinary uses), by partitions of sheet iron, so that each one will have only those substances whose vapors or gases are harmonious to each other. Beets, parsnips, carrots, cabbages, turnips, may be together without material injury. We put them in one room, apples and pears in another, lemons and oranges in another, butter and eggs in another. Decomposition in a dry atmosphere of 340, proceeds very slowly; and most of the fruits at that temperature emit scarcely any smell at all. We refer to the reports of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society-especially the one dated December 15, 1860for proof that there is no practical difficulty on this point.

OUR SUCCESS THUS FAR.

1st. Apples.-Of 110 bushels of good keeping apples, put in our house at a cost of 40 cents per bushel, in September and October, 1860, 100 bushels were sold at Indianapolis, in May, June and July, 1861, at prices varying from $2 to 83mostly $2 25 per bushel. Our preserving chamber was far less perfect then than it is now, and we think that in regard to all good keeping apples put in at the proper time, 14 bushels out of 15 put in may be kept in good condition for the market during the above named months, giving generally an average profit of $1 per bushel on all such apples laid in in the October previous.

Pears.-The fact that most pears should be pulled while green, is much in our favor. August pears put in green, may in general be kept good till Christmas, and later ones during the winter months.

Peaches. We cannot keep a ripe peach good more than two or three weeks. We don't know the reason why.

Squashes, Pumpkins, Melons, Sweet Potatoes.-We do not succeed with any of them; our room is too cold.

Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries.-We keep them in good marketable condition one month. Some remain apparently sound six, seven, and eight weeks, but the flavor leaves them. There is not much profit in keeping them, except to the large producer. He can hold them over when the market is glutted, till the demand increases. To him our house is of much value.

Lemons and Oranges.-If equally sound, they keep about equally well. One hundred boxes of sound lemons, bought in March or April last, kept well till the latter part of July, and were sold in the market till the middle of September, but the increasing decay towards the last took away the profits of keeping them. They-especially the lemons-are very perishable when taken out of the house in hot weather, so that it is not then profitable to ship them to a distance. The flavor of the lemon and orange, even in September, is always perfectly maintained. If we could rely on the honesty of Eastern dealers in sending sound ones, the purchase of them, to the extent of the demand of the city where the house is located, may be made valuable.

Vegetables-In general they keep well till the new crop comes in, but they must be kept by themselves; the smell from them-especially the turnip, if kept in any quantity-is quite injurious to fruit.

Irish Potatoes.-This vegetable is exceedingly popular during the month of June; is preferred to the new potato until fully ripe. We have for several years sold potatoes in June for two, three, and even four times its worth in the month of April previous.

Butter.-In a separate room, insulated completely from the flavor of foreign substances, it can be kept fresh to any period desired.

Eggs. We have good eggs, kept since March. Fresh spring eggs we can generally keep in good condition till fall and winter. But we would not advise entering upon the egg business in a large way, where eggs promiscuously of all kinds are gathered in, without further trial.

Tomatoes.-The small hardier kinds may be depended on for about two months. Grapes. We have not yet kept them to any extent, but see not why the report below given may not be made true with grapes, properly laid in, on a scale however large.

Canned Fruit.--We have put up a quantity of tomatoes, peaches and blackberries, in large cans or jugs, which we can afford to retail to good profit in the market or store, at the following rates: Tomatoes of the best quality for 8 cents per quart; the best seedling peaches for 9 cents per quart, and the largest choice improved peaches for 15 cents per quart; blackberries for 12 cents per quart, We can sell at these low rates for the following reasons: 1st. The large cans cost us 4 or 5 cents to the quart less than the small ones. 2d. Kept constantly at a dry temperature of 34°, there is little corrosion of the internal coatings, the fruit is kept purer and better, and the same can may be used for a number of successive years. 3d. We can keep these fruits in our house in the open dish or bucket, three or four weeks, and hence there is no danger of loss in opening large cans. 4th. There is little or no danger of losing cans imperfectly sealed, by fermentation. 5th. Putting up fruit in a large way on the spot where it is grown, enables us to do it at greatly reduced prices.

It gives us great satisfaction to believe that we can in this way serve acceptably the laboring classes in cities and large towns, by bringing these valuable luxuries within the reach of all.

It is a cardinal point with us, that we put all fruits in our house as soon as they will bear plucking from the tree or the vine, for the reason that it is much easier to keep green than ripe fruit from rotting.

Cost of the house--In general, it may be stated that a permanent building will cost as many dollars as it will hold bushels of fruit on its shelves. One holding 300 bushels would cost with us $500; one holding 5,000 bushels only $4,000.

EVENING SESSION-PRESERVATION OF FRUITS.

Mr. Benjamin M. Nyce, of Mackoy's Station, Indiana, being called upon, remarked that the main feature of his plan for preserving fruit consisted in producing a mechanical current of air. For absorbing the moisture, he used chloride of calcium; this chemical has a wonderful power to absorb moisture.

The absorbents are not effectual in taking up the moisture in the contained air of the room, without circulation, which, in Mr. Nyce's plan, is produced by means of a fan driven by a wind wheel. He says his room might be called a “great mammoth metal can." The atmosphere must be cold, 32 degrees, and quite dry. Purity was the second point, which he obtained by placing lumps of charcoal in the room. The power of charcoal to absorb impurity was as great as that of cbloride of calcium to absorb moisture. Place harmonious fruits, such as apples and pears, toge her, and you have no conflict. The same air was maintained in this room summer and winter. In the winter, on cold dry nights, when the thermometer is down to 35 degrees, he sometimes opens the doors. You can crowd the room in the winter with apples, grapes and pears, which may be brought out in the hungry months of April, May and June. Its use in the summer will be to fill it with oranges, lemons and eggs.

When asked how long he had kept eggs, Mr. N. replied he had eggs put up in July, which were so good now that it would be impossible to tell but that they were laid yesterday. Milk had been kept fifty-five days.

To show the rapid decline in the ratio, Mr. Nyce said that at 38 degrees he had kept milk ten days, at 36 degrees twenty days, and at 34 degrees fifty-five days, in the summer time.

In Indianapolis there is a preserving room in dimensions 40 by 50 feet, by 10 feet high; this will contain 12,000 bushels of fruit packed full, or 6,000 bushels on shelves, in drawers or boxes. Cost about $8,000.

The preserving house is thus constructed: A firm foundation is built, ground smoothened and overspread a quarter of an inch in thickness with tar and pitch; over this a floor of sheet iron; then chaff; afterward sheet iron again; the walls, thus, are 3 feet thick; outside wall sheet iron; inside sheet iron, in the preserv ing room. In the ice room galvanized iron is used, to prevent corrosion.

Mr. Nyce's house at Mackoy's Station is 20 by 20 feet, by 8 feet high; holds on shelves 1,000 bushels apples; cost to build it, $800. App es put in at a temperature of 75 degrees, are brought down to 35 degrees in three or four days.

In this cold room-ice on top, so that the air is kept as cold as ice all the time -sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squashes and peaches will not keep; they must be kept warm and dry, at a temperature of about 50 degrees. Peaches fail to keep; they evaporate, leaving a dry, hard substance, as hard as a stone. So with all fruits having longitudinal fibres.

He thinks he will be able to overcome the difficulty; cannot tell yet; keeps butter in his room to test the atmosphere; this was almost as rapid an absorbent as charcoal indeed there was a contest between the butter and the charcoal, as to which should take up the impurities the soonest.

Dr. Petticolas said he had on on one occasion kept grapes in cork sawdust until the May exhibition, perfectly sound; but they were affected by the odor, so that they were unfit to eat. This was in an open box. At another time he kept some in a tight box, and they all rotted.

The ordinary methods of keeping apples were referred to-during which Major Millikin said that in his experience, boxes or drawers were much better for keeping apples in than boxes; they were more economical, easier handled, and when began on a box sooner used up; for, after being opened, they are apt to decay

soon.

CINCINNATI HORTICULTURAL ROOMS, MARCH 2, 1861.

From B. M. Nyce, of Decatur county, Indiana-kept in his Fruit PreservatorApple, picked August 12th, B. Bosc, Clion, Flemish Beauty, Eelle Lucrative, in fine condition.

Also, Grapes, Catawba, from Kelley's Island, Ohio, as good as fresh.
Jno. A. WarDER, Chairman.

Report on fruits preserved by B. M. Nyce, Mackoy's Station, Decatur county, Ind., in his patented preserving house, some of which were picked August 12, 1860.

Beurre Bosc, the original flavor and qualities very well preserved.

Belle Lucrative, remarkably well preserved.

Clion, or Vicar of Wakefield, as good as it can be in its unripened condition, but showing that the principle of preservation is a perfect one. These specimens were picked before fully ripe.

Urbaniste-delicacies, a very fine pear, admirably preserved.

Autumn Colmar, well preserved.

Jaminette, a winter pear; sweet, and as good as usual.

Grapes, Catawba, from Kelley's Island; reported to be as good as when first picked.

Your committee take great pleasure in noticing these fruits, which are the result of the application of science to the every-day operations of the farm and garden. The horticulturist may grow the finest fruits in their season, and enjoy them with his friends in their day; but it requires the patient efforts of the man who will studiously apply the aids of science to the wants of his fellow man, to preserve these choice results for an almost indefinite period. Here we have some delicious fruits, preserved for nearly seven months, and presented to us in their perfect condition.

Approved.

WM. STOMS,
R. M. REILLY,

WM RESOR,

THS. SHERLOCK,

JNO. A. WARDER.

JULY 20, 1861.

From Benj M. Nyce, of Mackoy's Station, Decatur county, Indiana:

Apples-Growth of 1860, preserved in his Patent Preserving Fruit Room: Pennock, Romanite or Gilpin, White Winter Pearmain, White Bellflower, Rhode Island Greening, Pryor's Red, Northern Spy, Raul's Janet, Rambo, Campfield. Strawberries-Gathered seven weeks since-suund and fresh.

Raspberries-Blackcap-sound.

Cherries-sound.

Potatoes-Growth of 1860, perfectly sound, showing no disposition to sprout, or grow, or wilt.

These products furnish further evidence, if any such were needed by this Society, that the ingenious application of scientific truths has enabled our enterprising friend Nyce to arrest the natural process of decay in our perishable fruits, most of which appear before us in a perfectly sound condition after months of isolation from the parent trees upon which they acquired their growth and perfect maturation.

JNO. A. WARDER, Chairman.

Report to Cincinnati Horticultural Society, upon the Pears forwarded to the Society by Mr. B M. Nyce, of Indiana, from his Ice Conservatory, and placed in the hands of your humble servant to return when ripe, to report.

DEO. 15, 1861. Said pears, upon being subjected to a heat nearly uniform of 70 degrees, were found to ripen too rapidly to warrant me any hopes of bringing the same in for the action of our regular Fruit committee. Hence, an impromptu committee, composed of the following gentlemen, was invited to assist in testing the qualities of the fruit:

Mr. H. J. Estcourt, of Ireland; Mr. J. C. Aldrich, of New York; and M. J. F. Cole, of Cincinnati.

Comments, as follows, will show the estimate of the same, as made by them: No. 1. Rousellette Stuttgardt-Juicy, and of a rich saccharine flavor, reminding one somewhat of the Belle Seckle.

No. 2. Bartlett-Kept a little too long; still somewhat juicy; a little more saccharine than usual, and quite good.

No. 3. Belle Lucrative (?) or something else, enjoying all that excellence for fine flavor, and melting-buttery lusciousness that so deservedly belongs to the Belle's reputation-fully up to the Belle's summer reputation.

No. 4. Unknown-in good condition-rather of an insipid sweetness, apparently its natural character; sound, and free from blemish.

Rousellette Stuttgardt-Rich flavor, saccharine, and perfectly natural tone of excellence.

Bartlett-Good enough to remind you of its finer qualities-kept a little too

long.