The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-09-24
for the farmlrr.
GATHERING AND PRESERVING FRUIT.

Whoever would derive large profits and prices
from his orchard, must he prepared To take care
oil has fruits, rs after they are grown they have
10 be gathered and preservedi and the better this
part OF the work is done, the more profits will be
obtained. Besides, il is the preservation which
enables the fruitgrOwer to put his valuable
varieties in marketwhen they are worth the most
money.
The best mode of gathering a. vet known is by
hand, with the aid Of sef-snpporting ladders, aud
small baskets cushioned ON the inside. There
are various contrivances and some of them real
~ meet all the requirements wanted, with the
exception that they use up tO0 much time. These
'eontrlVances answer for amateurs, but not for
farmers. Every fruit taken from the tree should
have its stalk unbrOken il should be gathered by
band, and placed in the basket, carefully and
hghtiy, not allowing 1t to drop, OF TO knock
against other fruit or against any substance that
would bruise it in the slightest degree. The
same care should he taken in removing the fruit
when gathered to the fruit room, place where
they are to be kept. They shOuld not be removed
IN wagon or a wheelbarrow. They should he
carried in large baskets on a hand-b barrow, for
that is the only method by which they can es-
cape certain amount of jolting.
The sooner winter fruits are removed to where
they are TO be kept, after being gathered, the
better. The usual place of storing them is in
cellars, where there no special fruit-rOoms
provided for them. If they have tn be kept in
barrels, each fruit is put into them. Then they
shonld be laid in as carefully if they eggs,
much, and good winter pears are worth great
deal more. But though it is the practice TO put
fruit in barrels to keep, it is not one that be
recommended unless the fruit is about to be sent
to market within n short time. When in barrels
also, fruit cannot be inspected and watched, the
decayed Uf decaying ones removed, and good
supervision maintained.
Shelves much better and these shelves
might be so arranged and divided that each sub
division would hold the produce of a single tree.
BY thus keeping the fruit of each tree separate,
there would be less danger of spelling. Trees of
the same variety frequently grow fruit very
different in quality, and while the produce of some
will be scabby and wormy, the fruit of other
tees will be free from these defects. range of
Shelves each one capable of holding from five to
six Bushels or two barrels would accommodate
an orchard very we'll. For a tree that produces
two barrels of choice fruit worthy of being kept
over. may be considered frst-rat tree; and
orchard that contains fifty of these trees is a
frst-rate paying investment By keeping sorts
separate, and even the growth of each tree from
each other, much sorting and picking will be
avoided. No fruit should go upon shelves that is
not frst-rate in quality. The cuttings, which
may be used or sold, could be preserved either in
barrels or on the floor, till got rid of by sale or
otherwise.
The fruit room should be a cellar, capable of
being well ventilated, and made dry before the
fruit is placed in it, but afterwards it should be
close, dark, aud the temperature should at all
times range between thirty-fve and forty-five
the fruit, and cause it TO mature; and maturity
is always followed with a short period OF decay.
Hence all fruit should be gathered at period
before they become quite ripe. The low tempe
nature and the exclusion of light delays the time
of maturity, hence the keeping quality.
A French writer also claims that all the car
bonic acid evolved from the fruit should if pos
sible, he retained in the room. Hence after the
fruit is put in its place, the ought not to be
ventilated, as this would permit the gas to
cane, and also change the Temperature. The
writer also charges, on good grounds, that
all moisture humidity should be kept out of
the fruit room, as it likewise promotes decompo-
.sition, but the air should not be too dry, then
the fruit would dry mp and wither.
1t is calculated that room fifteen feet long,
twelve feet wide, and nine feet high, would hold
shelves enough for eight Thousand large sized
winter apples or pears, allowing each one to
scnpy area of four inches square, that no
fruit would tOnch each other. Allowing $50 ap
pies to bushel, would make room for about 600
bushels of apples, or 1900 bushels where they
were piled two in height.