The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-10-14
fnr the farmer.
KEEPING APPLES.

The question is often asked, what is the best
way TO keep apples for common family use We
have found central shelves in an apartment set
of or devoted to this purpose, the most conven-
lent. The apples are spread on these shelves,
only few inches deep, SO that they may be
readily examined or picked over, as fast as decay
commences on any specimens.
1t is very important that the apples be kept as
cool as practicable after gathering IN Auta'iliI'
and before the freezing weather OF winter ar
rives. For this purpose they are piaceu III IN '.o
floor of an out hOHse facing the NORTH anu
ed to remain there till about the tune ina. iIee
ing weather commences, when they are iehio'eu
IN The shalv.s IF the fruit room in the basement
of the house. This fruit room N"hici 70 aooos
ten feet wide and thirty feet iohgl y 81 49,
from the rest of the basement os an Incl o'iIA
wall and has n cement bottom TO Keep the ar
d-v snanrb Wiudo,rs for ventilation are hung
ON hinges so that they may be opened OF eioseh
to any desired degree, for the oi tne
Temperature by the Thermometer: Inc nearer
this temperature is to freezing, tlie better the
fruif will keen When the weather Is warm ont
side. the windows are closed to exclude tue warm
air when colder, they are opened sufnciently to
admit cool air and keep down the Temperature.
The apples being thinly spread on the shelves,
any decaying specimens are readily detected and
removed care being taken not 10 disturb or tumble
orer the sound apples arhich remain. An examina-
ton every few weeks during Winter and Spring
will keep the supply clear of rotten apples.
Among the advantages of this mode are the
readiness with which the specimens which will
not keep are separated from the others, and only
long keepers allowed 10 remain. When fruit rs
kept headed up in barrels, which is a common
mode, this selection and separation cannot be
made; and while they keep better thus exclnd-
ed from the air SO long they remain sound,
the commencement of decay in a few specimens
soon spoils ali the rest
A little practice will enable the attendant to
remove those specimens which will not keep,
even before decay begins; and by going over the
shelves several times during Winter and Spring,
none but sound, long keepers are left.
As warm weather approaches, and it becomes
more difficult to keep the apartment so cold as
may be desirable for the fruit, a portion of the
soundest and hardest are selected and placed in
shallow boxes and showed under the lower shelf,
on the bottom of the cellar. The cold cellar
bottom keeps them at low temperature, and
the shelf above serves as a cover, to prevent air
currents. In this way we have fresh specimens
of such frnits as the Baldwin and Rhode Island
Greening at the middle of June, and We some
times keep fine, hard, fresh Greetings into the
month of July.
The three leading requisites for success are l.
Placing the apples in a cool clubhouse in Autumn
till freezing weather. 2. Removal of decaying |
specimens from the shelves. 3. Keeping the |
temperature as low as practicable without freez- |
ing, by proper adjustment of the hanging win
dows.-COHHtTy Gentleman