Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-10-11
Farm, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.


sent 4 balaDle appearance When lad down /
in the markets for sale. Some few va
heties ripen irregularly, and should be |
gathered accordingly In most cases
the later varieties OF apples should be
left on until iate, so as TO fully color up,
when they should be carefully hand
picked; only the sound, unspecked ones
being taken. A bag, with two Of the
extreme corners drawn neatly together,
and slung over the right shoulder and
hanging under the left arm, is the rocst
convenient thing to PICK in, as it is
readily used sither on the tree or when
The picker stands on a ladder. When
the bag is full the apples are carefully
emptied into baskets conveniently near,
and the bag filled again, When the fruit
is picked convey It to the fruit-room,
which should be a cool, dry and dark
place, where it should remain til the
time arrives for packing. While pick
ing keep thu apples in the shade after
they are picked and before they are re.
moved to the fruit-room. While some
persons, new to the busineee, az not
think it makes mich difference if the fruit
is . little mixed, we have always found it
best to keep the varieties separate and
to market them the same way, even
though the quantity be small. And this
is why we have advocated continually
planting but few varieties, and those the
best, for when the trees come into bear
ing you will have enough of each sort to
make fair marketing, which would not
be the case If many varieties, and but
few trees of each variety, were planted.
In packing apples they should not be
barreled until they are free from moist
ure or dRmpneBs on the outside, else
they will soon decay, become damaged,
and be unstable. The barrel should be
filled rather more than even full and the
hend then pressed into place with q
screw and appliance for that purpose.
By this means the apples are prevented
from being bruised in handling the bar
rels in transportation. Practical Far
9ner.
Keeping Grapes.
The following method, among many
that have been recommended for keep
ing grapes, has proved highly successful
with those who have adopted it, Gut
the fruit, when fully ripe, on q dry day;
spreak it out thinly on shelves or tables
in cool, dry room for few days, Two
to six according to She weather, the
object being to dry up the stems little.
Out clean, dry rye straw in d straw-ct.t-
ter, about an inch long, end cover liber.
ally the bottom of suitably tight
lointed box or other vessel on which
place layer of fruit, not too deeply ;
then cover with straw literally, and fay
fruit on it again ard BID proceed with
the packing Of straw and fruit alter
nately. This done, they require only a
cool place, with as little moisture as prac-
ticable, to insure sound fruit for several
months. A sprinkling of -four sulphur
increases the safety of the grapes yet
the absorbing property Of dry straw is
mainly and ordinarily sufficient.
The practice of keeping grapes in the
fruit room with the stalks inserted in
bottles filled with water, and suspended
from the roof, is said to have become
general in England. It is very import
ant to direct attention to the fact that
the stem must be inserted in the water
Immediately after it is severed from the
vine, and that the end of the shoot must
not be shortened. When the branches
are not at once inserted the stalks will
soon become brown and the berries
shrivel. Also, if the end of the branch
is shortened for the purpose of giving @
neater appearance to the branches when
suspended in the fruit room, the grapes
will soon begin to shrivel, and. if not
used within short space of time, will
be of little service. Last winter I saw
in the garden of an amateur very
splendid lot of grapes which were very
nearly spoiled through that portion o.
the wood above the branch being re-
moved.
Seed Potatoes.
In nothing connected with seeding dC
farmers more disagree than in the way
to plant potatoes. As the result of some
scientific experiments in Germany re
Gently, it is said to have been demon
strated that the "eyes'' at the top of til,
potato produce a much more vigorous
offspring than those in the lower part
and hence that the tubers should be Gu
horizontally, planting the upper hal
and using the other as food TO
cattle. But the best plan of all, say
the report, is to plant the tuber whole
first cutting out the "eyes" excep
those in the top part On the othe
hand, IN the Central New York Farmers
club, as noticed by the Tribune, on
speaker cited case of uniformly larg'
tubers of Early Rose by planting tn
r stem-end only" and that he coul
obtain ga quarter more profit by doin,
So" Another said the incest lot he eve
saw "were grown from the seed-end
planted in drills nine inches apart.
fifty bushels there was not more tina
one bushel OF small potatoes" MI
Scoville had "tried both plans, an
r found very little difference" Doesn
/ it largely depend, after all, upon th
? soil and fertilizers A vigorous an
? thrifty growth of the stalks is necessar
to the best results 4; and it is easier I
get one, two or three such tops than
dozen. Except on new, stony soil, {
where special fertilizers like wood asht
or superphosphates are used freely, "
are confident the common mistake is j
overseeing. - Golden Rule.
A Good Mess for Mich Cow.
A writer who says that one good co
gives all the milk needed in family
eight persons, and from which W.
made two hundred and sixty pounds
butter last year. gives the following /
his treatment "If you desire to get
large yield of rich milk, give your co
Q every day water slightly warm an
Q slightly sailed, in which bran has bee
8 stirred at the rate of one quart to tv
: gallons OF water. You will find, if yo
Q have not tried this daily practice, tn
!, your COW will give twenty-five D,
}. centum more Immediately under Il
Q effects of it, and she will become I
=, attached to it that she will refuse
k rink clear water unless very thirsty