The weekly standard., 1869-11-10
RATES OF ADVERTISING
HOUSE AND FARM.

GATHERING AND KEEPING APPLES
Gather your apples early if you wish to keer
them late in the spring, and vice versa
Gathered early, they are hard; and it will
be sometime-say several months-before
they will have reached the period of ripen-
ing which the ripe apple attains on the trees,
so that, to pick early, is to put off the ripen-
ing time.
This is done; and we have now Aug IA,
IN the cellar, Spitzenburgs, sound as when
gathered, though not so juicy and tart. They
were gathered four weeks before the usual
time. They had not yet obtained their
growth, and were green and immature look
ing. But they kept and ripened, and are
red and soft now as any; but not so good
quite in flavor, not perfect, as the ripe Spit
zenberg is. Still fruit, and not bad one
during the spring and into summer, when
other apple: are not.
If wanted for spring use alone, and not
early summer, pick week later; if for Feb
ruary and March, a week later still. If for
carly use, say November and December, pick
when ripe. Thus with the Spitzenburg and
most winter fruit. But there are other sorts
that will take the place OF these early in the
winter; these are the late fall or early win
ter sorts. But these,-all fruit (apples)-
may be used earlier or later, kept longer or
not, according to the time of picking. 1t is
simply changing the time of picking; no
extra care or expense.
Pick your fruit, and from the tree put
into the barrel, to be touched no more till
used. Handling fruit hastens decay.
Put barrels in outbuildings for several
days till the sweating-which takes place
the first night profusely-is over and the
fruit is dry. This will be in few days if
the weather is favorable. Remove then to
the fruit-rOom or CELLAR fruit-roGm prop
erly made is the best, but the cellar will do
if not too damp.
Head up, or simply cover, with or without
spaces for air to circulate.
But the temperature of your room Tor eel
lar) requires attention, for upon this depends
the whole now, the moisture being regulated
The first, the great important point is uni
formity of temperature. To this effect the
windows-which should he double-are to
be kept shut when the weather is warm and
there is breeze, as the breeze will blow out
the cold all, though lighter. it will force it
Out-and opened when cool; this in the
fall and spring. In the winter of course lit
tie air is to be let in /: the difficulty is, too
much cold finds its way into our cellars and
rooms. When this happens keep it in that
condition until it begins to thaw. Now
comes the critical point; if rapidly thawed
it is spoiled; if gradually-it cannot be too
gradual-there is a perfect safety of your
fruit
Uniformity then, and gradual change, if
a change must occur; a low temperature,
just avoiding the frost; the mean between
moisture and dryness: and the fruit not un-
covered or in open bins, much less on shelves
unless the air, habitually, is quite damp. In
proper temperature and hygrometic condi-
ton, apples should be kept covered
Barrels with the head in or ON are the
thing.
If rot attacks them-as it will, but slight
ly-leave them as they are, for as soon as
sorting commences, the rot will be acclera-
ted, and your apples will soon be gone. If
severely attacked, use at rnce. But this need
not be. if the fruit is carefully handled Tin
the start) and treated as described.
You can ripen your fruit in the cellar or
truit-room as well as on the tree OF course
you do this with the heat Thus in the diff
terent compartments you should have diff
ferent temperature, for the different uses of
your fruit as tn time We use Spitzenbergs
from November to July. The last (ripe)
picking, put in warm room-not dry-is
used first. In our coldest apartments on the
floor, isour earliest picking, t" keep.-Prai-
rie Farmer
RECLADIING MEADows.-The most profit
able labor a farmer can engage in after the
haying season is over, is to plow and drain
low or meadow lands, manure them and seed
down to grass. Full remuneration for cost
and labor is often received in the grass crop
the succeeding season. For several years we
have been engaged in this work, and have
found no kind of labor upon the farm pay
so promptly and generously as this Last
year we had small piece of meadow, one
and a half acres, which had lain for many
years, worthless; it was full OF hassocks,
rushes, wire grass, stumps and rocks-a mis-
erable waste. We put three men into it,
with yoke of heavy oxen, in September,
and before the month was out it was drained,
pulverized, seeded and made as mellow and
level as a prairie This year, in July, we
cut the heaviest swarth of timothy on that
meadow of any upon the farm. The first
crop paid all the expenses of reclaiming.
Farmers, your neglected lowlands are the
best part of your farms; do not allow them
to remain the home of tad-poles and bull
frogs; with proper care, they will fill your
barns with the rich grasses of the uplands.
-5ston Journal Of Chemistry.
WHY ORCHARDS DECAY.-A correspond
mt of the VALLEY Farmer says orchards have
lied or Become poor from these causes:
I. .eat exhaustion of the soil from con-
stays-bps of apples; from the blowing
by the wind of the leaves of the tree
n mature assigned to feed the soil on
~ A See sands; by crops of grass,
II roots constantly taken from the
As ground, and little return of substance
~ b Another means of their destruction had
len in whipping the trees with poles to re-
i've their apples And still another cause
rs the pasturage of cattle among them.
3. To restore them, if any were left worth
restoring, men must cease to crop the ground
n1ler them. and must manure them with
yeeetable mold, decayed leaves, wood-lime,
aeS.s and salt A compost formed of these
subtances would be excellent; or one FORM
Cd d part by soap-suds and refuse slops,
Il chitdirt, turf, &c.,-well rotted.
Tien trim them in the month of June of
al dad limbs, and of those that cross and
palI zach other, and of all suckers that feed
moi trunks of limbs, not necessary for top.
ToKEEP STOVE BRIGHT exchange
fyives the following receipt for the purpose
Takea weak alum water and mix your Bri
Il fish Lustre with it; put two spoonfuls to a
~ LII 2 Ii ho Do11