Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-08
S0ritultural.


lowing:
Winter fruits intended for long keeping
are transferred by hand from the basket ia
which they are gathered on the tree into
larger ones, in which they can be carried
into dry, coolroom, where they are laid in
heaps, which may be three or four deep,
where they may remain for a couple OF
weeks, during which time they will have
parted with considerable moisture and be
quite dry. They will then be fit for packing.
Clean, new barrels should be procured, and
the fruits should be carefully assorted. For
shipping to distant or foreign markets the
best only should be selected all bruised,
w6rmy, knotty specimens being laid aside
for home consumption. They are then placed
in the barrels by hand, arranged regularly
in layers, so that no spaces will exist by
which the fruits may shift, roll or knock
against one another. The barrels are then
tightly headed up, SO that the head presses
firmly on the fruit some people recommend
placing a layer of clean moss or soft paper,
both on the bottom and top of the barrel;
but this is not necessary where the packing
and heading are performed carefully. After
packing, the barrels must be sent to market
in such a manner as never to be jolted or
rolled any more than they would be on men g
shoulders, or an easy spring wagon or sled,
or by o water conveyance.
On shipboard the barrels should be placed
in the coolest and dryest place. 1t is per-
fectly idle to gather, pack or ship fruits in
any other way than this to foreign markets.
American apples are frequently sold in Liv-
erpool at auction for half what they would
have sold for in New York, on account of
their bad condition. l saw this in 1S49,
when Newtown pippins were selling at
twelve and half cents apiece in the fruit
shops.
Winter fruits for home consumption
should be carefully assorted, keeping the
best, the poorest the sound, the bruised, and
the earlier and later ripening varieties all
separate; when sound and bruised, early and
late, are all thrown together promiscuously
they can not fail to decay speedily and to
lose their flavor: for two or three decaying
apples in a heap or barrel will taint the
flavor of all, and hasten the decay of those
around them. This arrangement into grades
and classes is, therefore, absolutely necessary,
even for the fruits needed for family use; and
when they are so arranged the sound, long
keepers are put into clean, new barrels, care
fully, by hand, and the barrels headed up
tightly and placed in cool, dry cellar or
fruit-room. The bruised ones can be laid in
q place by themselves for immediate use.
Every barrel when packed, should be
marked.
Winter Pears, as general thing, require
to be brought into warm temperature one
or two weeks before they are wanted for
table use. All the baking and stewing, and
even many of the table varieties, may be
treated exactly like apples.
FATrENIEG SHEEP IN WINTER.-The profit
of fattening sheep during the winter months,
in this country, depends principally on the
increased price obtained for the mutton in
the spring.
In England, where fattening sheep in win
ter is carried on more extensively than in
any other country, the profit is due simply
to the increase of mutton and to the value Of
the manure obtained from the sheep. AS a
general rule, the fat sheep in February or
March are worth no more per pound than
the lean sheep were the October previous.
We have heard experienced English farmers
say that if they sold their tat sheep in the
spring for enough more over their cost in the
autumn to pay for the grain or oil-cake
which they had eaten, they were satisfied.
That is to say, they considered the manure
from the sheep equal in value to the turnips
and straw consumed. The profits of cattle
or sheep-feeding in England depend prin-
cipally on the question whether the farmer
can obtain manure cheaper by purchasing
cattle food OF artificial fertilizers.
In this country, we have hitherto given
little attention to the manurial aspect of the
question; but it is beginning to force itself
upon our attention.
If we obtained no more per pound for
mutton in the spring than we do in the fall,
as is the case in England we believe fatten-
ing sheep in winter would not pay, even
after taking the value of the manure into
account This is owing to the comparatively
low price of meat in this country. For in
stance, a sheep weighing, say ninety pounds
will eat about twenty pounds of hay per
week, or its equivalent; and if of the best
breed, will increase one and a half pounds.
Thus one tun Of hay will give us $50 pounds
of increased live weight, worth say five
cents per pound. This would would give us
81 80 for one tun of hay, or its equivalent.
But assuming that we can buy sheep in
the fall for two and half cents per pound,
and sell them in February or March for five
cents per pound, the account would stand
something like this: A sheep weighing
eighty pounds the lst of November, costs
50. Fed till March lst-say sixteen weeks
bewould weigh, reckoning as before that he
would increase one and half pounds per
week, l04 pounds. At five cents per pound
he is worth So 20-leaving So 20 to pay for
the food. He has eaten in the sixteen weeks
$40 pounds of hay, or twenty pounds per
week. In other words we get So 20 for 800
pounds Of hay, or $50 per tun.
IT. then, mutton was as high in the fall
as in the spring. say FIVE cents per pound
live weight, we should obtain only 81 80 per
tun for the hay consumed by the sheep; but
if it can be bought for half the price in the
fall that il commands in the spring, we OBJ
tain $40 per tun for the hay.
These figures may not be absolutely cor
rect, but we give them to illustrate the ad-
vantage which our farmers have in being
able to obtain a much higher price for meat
in the spring than in the tall. Those who
contend thst fattening sheep in winter is no!
profitable, are apt to overlook this fact.
We speak adyisedly when we say that
there is much more profit in fattening sheep
during the winter in this country, under the
present circumstances than there is in En-
gland, Notwithstanding the higher price OBJ
tained there for mutton.
PACKING PEARS FoR DISTANT MARKETS.
The French send away more pears to foreign
markets than any other people. Some small
importatiOns of their winter sorts have act
ually been made by come of the New York
fruit dealers the present winter, ls50-5l.
They pack them in small boxes, either round
or square, such as a man can lift and carry
easily in his hands.
They cover the bottom and sides with very
dry moss or soft, dry paper, well calculated
to absorb moisture. They then wrap each
fruit in the dry, soft paper, and lay them in
layers, the largest and least mature in the
bottom, and fill all the interstices with dry
moss or paper. / have seen these boxes
opened in London in the finest condition,
after being a month packed. They are so
tightly packed that the slightest movement
can not take place among them, and yet no