Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-07-17
FARM AND HOME.
CONDITION OF THE FRUIT.

Preserving Fruit.
CONDITION OF THE FRUIT.
The fruit to keep we'll and to retain
its original flavor, should be put up
when freshly picked; it should be
well ripened, but not over ripe; If
partially green, it will be of inferior
flavor and hard to keep. 1t is pre-
ferable that the fruit be gathered in a
dry day aud that all inferior or inn
perfectly ripe specimens be rejected.
TIE SUGAR.
Some fruits will keep we'll without
the application of sugar; but as it
will be needed, when the fruit is put
on the table, it is just aseconomical to
put it into the Jar at the time the
fruit is put up; and by so doing, it
will aid in the preservation. The
best white sugar Is the cheapest and
most economical for this, as for every
other purpose in cooking. The
quantity used should be tire same
that is put on fresh frait for the
table.
BOTTLES, JARS AND CANS.
When the vessel is to be sold with
the fruit, it Is usual to make use of
one of metal. But for domestic use
it is preferable to have vessels of
glass, as they will not corode'
and with proper care can be kept a
long time, Any glass jar or bottle
with q wide mouth, will answer for
the same purpose. The best of corks
should be used, first softening them in
warm water. 1t is preferable, how
ever, to use some form of jar which is
prepared especially for this purpose.
COOKING THE FRUIT
Two methods are Tesorted to for
cooking tire fruit. One Is to put il
into the jar with the sugar, and
sufficient water to prevent burn
ing. The other is to cook the fruit
in another vessel and when perfectly
ceeked to place in the jar. We pre-
fer the latter method, as the one
easiest done, and the one most GER
tain to cook the fruit uniform. The
best vessel for the purpose is a porce-
lain coated iron kettle.
TIME OF COOKING.
The general rule for cooking is to
boil the fruit till it is heated through
the centre. Too much cooking will
impair the flavor of the fruit, and
injure its appearance. A little ex-
perience with each kind of fruit will
determine the time it should be
cooked. If cooked in q kettle, straw
berries, raspberries, blackberries,
whortleberries, should he cooked
from three to five minutes peaches
from six to eight; ounces and pears
from fifteen to twenty. If cooked in
the can they will require to remain
somewhat longer.
CANNING.
Have every thing ready before you
begin to can. If corlss are used in
the bottles, prepare some sealing
wax in a ladle, by melting together
! OF. of tallow with one pound of
rosin. Temper the jars by placing
them i'm boiler OF cold water, aud
bring it to boil. When the fruit is
sufficiently cooked, take it out and
fill the bottles to within half an inch
of the top. Let them remain about
two minutes before sealing them, oc-
casionaliy Earring them to help the
escape or air. Now fit the cans on the
self sealers, according to directions ac-
companying them. If any are secured
by corks, wipe out the mouths of the
bottles with towel, adjust the
corks, pressing them below the
top of the necks, and fill up with
sealing wax. The fruit will keep
the best if placed in a dry, cool and
dark room.
HAY MAKING.
1t is known by almost all farmers
that much good grass is lost by the
slipshOt way it Is made into hay. A
radical reform is needed in this line of
farming. Let us try to get that nice
green hay that smells so sweet. We
generally have that kind ourselves If
the weather gives us half q chauce.
1t is known to the farmer that all
grass and clover has q certain guam
tity Ofgum, sugar, etc, which are
lost when allowed to bleech, or, in
other words, washed away by the
rain. But as long as the grass is
fresh the rain will lrave no effect,
owing to the wax or gum which
still covers the whole vegetable mat
ter. II is when the hay is about half
made that danger comes in this line.
and often the whole crop is injured
by continually turning. IN showing
weather, we say never turn more
than is really necessary, but let ii
| lay little, for rs long as the grass il
fresh-lOoking there is but little dan
ger, from the loss of the elements
which make good hay. We have
found that the quicker the hay can
be made, the less it lOoses that bright,
rich color, and is much less liable t.
spoil when in the stack of hay,
Hay as n general thing is too much
dried. Unless the grass be very
thick and heavy it will generally
cure sufficiently when in the swatll
two days. When shook or stirred
out, it should not remain i'm this con.
dition beyond the first day, or it will
loose much of its nutritive juices. Yet
we have cut our grass in the fore
noon and hauled it i'm the barn late
i'm the afternoon, and never had
sweeter hay than when cured in this
way. We never put our hay in
cocks unless ii threatens rain. The
talk of sailing and lining hay we
have never found necessary,
The time we prefer for cutting
clover is when it is in full bloom,
just before it begins to turn brown.
After it lays from about two to five
hours, we put in small cocks and
there let 1t cure. Thus cured, it keeps
its color, and in handling the leaves
are all saved, and not scorched and
BACKED up like tea, from the scorch-
ing June and July sun.
The other grass we cut just as the
seeds are beginning 10 get hard and
we often find that when cut Just as it
is going out of flower, that the stock
relishes it better. Yet we prefer to
cut it just as the seeds begin to har-
den. 1t gives more muscle matter,
and less fattening matter.-COr.
Penn. Farm Journal.
Our city exchanges daily contain
something relative to a third party
movement. The conservatives who
attended the New York Convention,
are greatly Disguised. The Chase
and Hancock men who wanted to
start out with, as it Were, a new
string to their bow, find themselves
rrn, f,I I,,x m