American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-11-02
The farmers department,
Gathering Apples.

y
Vermont, communicates the follow
lag excellent advice relative to gath
ering and keeping apples, which we
commend to the readers of the Tele-
graph:
The season for gathering apples is
approaching, and what | wish to say
to farmers, upon that subject is, to
pick your apples; if they are worth
gathering at all, they are worth pick
| ing. There are many kinds of APP
| Piles that ought to be handled just as
carefully as you would handle eggs,
for what would break an egg, would
bruise them, and when they are bruis-
ed they are spoiled for long keep
ing.
But | suppose there are many who
think it is more than apples are worth
to pick them if so, it is because they
do not know how to do it, and for
the benefit of such | will give some
thing of my plan for gathering ap-
pies.
/ have light ladders of different
lengths; the one most used is about
Is or 90 feet long another 8 or 10
feet long; and another which is very
convenient in many places, is a dou :
lie ladder or two ladders kept togeth-
er at the top by letting the topronnd
one answer for both, then leave out
the rounds of one except the lower
one, so they will shut up together
and be just as handy to carry as n
swing ladder, and when you set it up,
spread the lower ends apart so it
will stand alone. They can be made
of any length, but about 10 feet is
most convenient They should be
made of light material; the side may
be nothing more than narrow strips
of boards. The lower ends of the
ladder should be about 3 feet wide to
prevent turning over ; the top may
be as narrow as you desire it.
To pick the apples, you want a
half bushel basket with a hook at
tached, so thai it may be hung upon
limb or ladder round, while being
filled. The barrels should be plac d
as wanted at each tree, and when the
basket is filed, do not pour them
from the top of the barrel as you
would a basket of potatoes, but lower
the basket into the barrel, and then
turn it over carefully. You may
think this is slow way to gather
apples, but it will pay much better
tlfan to shake them off. One man
will pick in this way from 10 to Is
barrels in day.
When the barrels are filled, they
should not be headed up tight, as l
have often seen recommended-for
there is nothing that will spoil an ap-
pie quicker than shutting it up in a
close place without dir.
The best way is to leave the bar
rel open, but if necessary to head
them up, there should be holes in the
sides of the barrels, so they may
nave Il 1IGc ClICuldlIOH VI dlIs lOI
without it they very soon lose their
taste, and become worthless, if not
rotten.
They SHOULD. be stored in open
sheds, or other airy places, until
there is danger of their freezing,
when they may be taken to the Gel
lar, which should be kept cool and
airy.
In this way apples may be kept
sound great length of time. There
is generally better market in spring
than in the fall, and if you want APP
pies to eat, it is much pleasanter to
have them sound and fresh than rot
ten. intended to have said some
thing upon the varieties of apples
which have proved most profitable to
cultivate in this section, as there is a
great difference, some varieties be-
ing much better than others, but l
have already made this much longer
than I7intended. and will leave the
rest for another time. &c Geifmantown
Telegraph.
Storing Potatoes. for Winter.