The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-10
AGRICULTURAL.

PACKING APPLES FOR WINTER.-Un
der the term packing we include the
whole operation Of storing and keep
Ing after picking, until finally disposed
Of: Werecommend as the best article
to pack in, Q well made; clean, new:
barrel, holding two aid 6ne.halt
bushels, and perfectly SEASONED; End
dry when the fruit is put in it,: Take
the barrel under the tree Or near
It, taking out the head; FIJI It y
little more than level full, and then
cover with short boards 80 as to-
exclude sunshine AND rain; and With
two or three sticks Of stove wood tor'
some means Of keeping the bottom
OF the barrel of the groind, leave IT.
Tor a week or two tosweat and dry out:
when the head must be pressed down
TO It's place, and the hoops driven ons
tight and nailed at both ends. II ths:
barrel Is not level full when headed
up, it must be made DO, q this Is most
essential to prevent after handling Of
the barrel bruising the apples: Fall.
hre in this one thing Of pressing the,
contents Of the barrel, 80 that there.
shall be no loose apples, and no work,
ing in any manner OF the whole o.
any part Of them, will involve serious
danger Of loss Of all the labor pre-
yiously bestowed; and yet We ands
that right here is the great neglect:
Right picking and right packages are
all useless II atterward the fruit
L. bruised Id Consequence Of loose
packing.
We greatly prefer to put the tuit'
Immediately into the barrel in the
orchard, and head UP the barrel be-
fore it is moved, ID the method 50.
often recommended Of packing and
carrying to some outhohse Of chamber
TO cure before packing; as It saves
much labor, involves less risk OF,
bruising, and required less time:
When the barrels are hssdsd up they
nav be laid On the slde,, On sticks;
and left Id the orchard Il the. weather
is fair. Of removed to sonas clubhouse,
barn, or any place where they viii be
dry and cool. It Is a good way TO- lay.
down some poles and rails hear the
cellar where they are to be KEPT dur
ING the winter, and Ley the baftels Old
them, and cover them temporarily
with boards. The point to be simed
at is to keep them as cool and dry as'
possible, and out Of the cellar till, INin-,
ter or very freezing weather; az It Is g
we'll established fact that an apple
will bear more cold and freezing with
out affecting it's quality than any
other fruit or vegetable, especially
II kept in the dark andall air excluded
Another a for choosing tight
packages Is that light and air In con;
junction with warmth rapidly change
the structure or internal condition OF
the fruit and induce decay. The same
agencies which operate In maturing
and p~erfecting it will, aftet IL e ma:
tured, ripen and afterwatd destroy.
It Is essential to success Id keeping
fruit in any manner or by any method
to keep this fact in view and TO be
governed by it. The writer has known
apples packed as ab6te directed and
nut in a dark cellar to be frozen solid
clear through, and remain 80 fof
weeks, and on being opened IN May
show no signs Of injury In looks OF
taste: II
There is no question bdt that It Will
always pay to pack apples as herein
directed, even If they are to be sold
Immediately, and there were never so
many apples on the market but there
would be remunerative prices PAID
for such by any parties knowing how
they were picked and packed, ;
A very simple and effective imple,
ttentf for pressing down the head OF the
barrel, as required In this process; can pc
made by taking two rods Of one-foHrth
inch iron, q little longer than the
barrel, make q hook at one end BY
lsimply bending over about one half
inch, and hooking the other ends into
b ring about three inches Id diameter,
made of three eight Inch lion, and
placing one end In the ring previous.
" hooking the other ends OF the rods
on the lower chimes Of the barrel, and
having a block about eight inches In
diameter to lay on the held OF the
barrel, put the lever on this block
and press the head to Its place and
hold it while the hoops are driven .,r.,
In commencing to fill the barrel
with the apples, some advise placing
the layer all with stem down, which
gives a fine appearance when opened.
and helps to sell it; Of eotrse there is
no harm in doing 80, provided you DO
hot select larger and better specimens
for that layer, as looks are to be re-
gardedas desirable just aslong as they
do not deceive: ,,, .
We advise in all cases Of putting DIP
ples in a cellar to keep for spring and
summer use, to have one especially
devoted to that use; or to partition of
q room in it which a be kept cold,
even below the freezing point, and at
the same time be dry: We repeat
that there Is more danger from
warmth than cold, from light than
darkness, from handling than from
lying STILL Lastly, mark each barrel
distinctly with the variety and grade
on the end which should be opened
E. II. Benton. WISCONSIN Horticultural
Society:.