The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-10
AGRICULTURAL.

whole operation Of storing and keep
ing after picking, until finally disposed
of. Werecommend as the best article
to pack in, a we'll made, clean, new
barrel, holding two and one-half
bushels, and perfectly seasoned, and
dry when the fruit is put in it. Take
the barrel under the tree or near
1t, taking out the head, fill it a
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 or
some means Of keeping the bottom
Of the barrel off the ground, leave it
for q week or two to sweat and dry out,
when the head must be pressed down
to its place, and the hoops driven on
tight and nailed at both ends. If the
barrel is not level full when headed
up, it must be made so, as this is most
essential to prevent after handling OF
the barrel bruising the apples. Fail
ure in this one thing Of pressing the
contents Of the barrel, so that there
shall be no loose apples, and no work.
ing in any manner Of the whole or
any part Of them, will involve serious
danger Of loss Of all the labor pre-
viously bestowed; and yet we find
that right here is the great neglect.
Right picking and right packages are
all useless If afterward the fruit
is bruised in consequence Of loose
packing.
We greatly prefer to put the fruit
Immediately into the barrel in the
orchard, and head up the barrel be-
fore it is moved, to the method so
often recommended Of packing and
carrying to some clubhouse or chamber
to cure before packing; as it saves
much labor, involves less risk OF
bruising, and requires less time.
When the barrels are headed up they
may be laid on the side, on sticks,
and left in the orchard If the weather
is fair, or removed to some Clubhouse,
barn, or any place where they will be
dry and cool. It is a good way to lay
down some poles and rails near the
cellar where they are to be kept dur
ing the winter, and lay the barrels on
them, and cover them temporarily
with boards. The point to be aimed
at is to keep them as cool and dry as
possible, and out Of the cellar till win
ter or very freezing weather; as it is a
we'll established fact that an apple
will bear more cold and freezing with
out affecting its quality than any
other fruit or vegetable, especially
if kept in the dark andall air excluded.
Another reason 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 perfecting it will, after it is ma
tured, ripen and afterward destroy.
It is essential to success in 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 above directed and
put in a dark cellar to. be frozen solid
clear through, and remain so for
weeks, and on being opened in May
show no signs Of injury in looks or
taste.
There is no question but that 1t 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 we're picked and packed.
a very simple and effective imple-
ment for pressing down the head Of the
barrel, as required in this process, an be
made by taking two rods Of one-fourth
inch iron, a little longer than the
barrel, make a hook at n end by
simply bending ove about n half
inch, and hooking the other ends into
q ring about three inches in diameter,
made Of three eight inch iron, and
placing one end in the ring, previous
ly 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 head Of the
barrel, put the lever on this block
and press the head to its place and
hold it while the hoops are driven.
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 course there is
no harm in doing 80, provided you do
not select larger and better specimens
for that layer, as looks are to be re-
garded as desirable just a. long as they
do not deceive.
We advise in all cases Of putting ap-
pies in a cellar to keep for spring and
summer use, to have one especially
devoted to that use, or to partition off
a room in it which can 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