Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-10-29

GATHERING AND KEEPING AP
PILES.

Gather your apples early if you wish !
to keep them late in the spring, aud
vice versa. Gathered early, they are
hard and it will be some time--say
several months before they will have
reached the period Of ripening which
the apple attains on the trees, SO that,
to pick early. is to put off the ripening
time.
This is done; and we have now, Au-
gust IA, in the cellar, Spizenbtrgs, sound
as when gathered, though not SO juicy
and tart, They were gathered four
weeks before the usual time. They had
not yet attained their growth, and were
green and immature locking. But they
kept aud ripened, and are red and soft
now as any but not so good quite in
favor, not perfect, as the rile Spitzen-
berg is. Still fruit, and not bad one
during the spring and into summer, when
other aples are not.
II wanted for spring use alone, aud
not early summer, pick a week later; if
for February and March, week later
It'll If for carly use, say November
aud December, pick when ripe. Thus
with the Spitzcpberg and most winter
irdlt. But there are other sorts that
val take the place of these early in the
winter these are the late fall or early
winter sorts. But these--all fruit Zap
ples)-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 ex-
pense.
Pick your fruit; aud from the tree
put into the barrel, to be no more
touched till used. Handling fruit has
teues 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 a
few days if the weather is favorable
Remove then to the fruit-room or eel
lar; fruit'room properly made IS best,
but the crllar will do If not too damp.
Head up, or simply cover with or
without spaces for the air to circulate
But the temperature of your room Cor
CELLAR requires attention, for upon this
depends the first, the great important
point is uniformity Of temperature. To
this effect the wndows-which should
be double-aro to be kept shut when
the weather is warm and there is a
breeze, as the breeze will blow out the
cold air, though lighter, it will force it
out-opeued when cold this in the
fall and spring. In the winter Of course
there is little air to be let in, the diff
Guilty is, too much cold finds its way ms
to our cellars and rooms. When thi
happens keep il in that condition until it
beg rs to thaw. Now comes the criti
cal point; if rapidly thawed il is spoil.
cd if gradually--it cannot be too grad.
ual-there is perfect safety of your
fruit.
Uniformity then, aud gradual
change, if change must occur; low
temperature, avoiding the frost; the
mean between moisture and dryness
aud the fruit not uncovered or In open
bins, much less on shelves unless the air
habitually, is quite damp, In proper
temperature aud hygrometic condition
apples should be kept covered. Barrel:
with the head in or on are the thing.
If rot sttacts them--as it will, But
slightly-leave them as they are, for az
soon as sorting commences, the rot will
be accelerated, and your apples will
soon be gone. If severely attacted, use
at oSce. But this need not be, if the
fruit is carefully handled Qu the start,
and treated as described.
You can ripen your fruit in tho sell
lar or fruit rosm, as we'll as on the tree
OF course you do this with the heat
Thus in the different compartments
you should have different temperature
for the different uses of your fruit as t(
time. We use Spitzcnbergs from No.
yember to July. The last (ripe) pick
ing, put 10 a warm room not dry-ii
used frst. In our coolest apartment OF
the floor, is our earliest picking, to keep
Prairie Former.