Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-09-15
Preserving Grapes for Winter.

AS autumn approaches, we receive 8
number of inquiries as to the method
OF preserving grapes for winter use
1t is not generally understood thai
there is as much difference in grapes
with respect to their keeping, as there
Is with other fruits. No one would
expect to keep Early Harvest apples OF
Bartlett pears for the holidays. and il
is SO with the most generally cultiyat
ed grape, the Concord; it cannot be
made to keep in good condition long
after it is fairly ripe. With other va,
rieties it is different. There are some
localities where that grand old crane
the Catawba, can still be cultivated
with success, and, where this is the
case, one need hardly to look for a bet
ter variety. The Isabella still succeeds
in some places, and Is fair keeper
Better than either, if not the best OF
all grapes, the Iona gives good crops
in some places, as does the Diana.
Where either of these, the Isabella,
Catawba, Iona, or Diana, can be grown.
there is no difficulty in keeping them
until the first of the New Year, or lat
er. The grapes are allowed to ripen
fully; they are picked, and placed In
shallow trays, in which they remain in
an airy room to "cufe." The opera
tion of curing consists merely in sort
of whiting, by which the skin becomes
toughened, and will not break when
the fruit is packed. The clusters,
when properly "cured," are packed in
boxes, usually of three or five pounds,
each. The bottom of the box is Opt .In.I.
the larger clusters laid in carefully, al
smaller punches packed in upon them
in such manner that it will require i.
moderate pressure to bring the cover
Tor, properly, the bottom), of the box
to its place, where it is nailed down.
The pressure used is such that when
the top of the box is opened, the grapes
next to 1T are found to be somewhat
fiattened. The fruit must be pressed
in such a manner that it cannot shake
in travel, and this can only be done
with grapes the skin of which has been
toughened by being properly cured.
If clusters were placed in the box as
they come from the vines, and subject
ed to the needed pressure the skin
would crack around the Stems, hber-
ating the juice, and the whole would
soon pass into decay. Towards Christ
mas and New Years, many tons of the
varieties we have named come to the
New York market in excellent condl-
ton. New varieties of grapes, in great
excellence, have recently been intro
duced. but we have yet to learn as to
their keeping qualities. With the
Concord and related varieties, the skin
is too tender to allow of long keeping,
and it does not seem to toughen in the
caring process. Still, with these, the
season for home use may be consider
ably prolonged. The late Mr.. Knox
found that he could keep the Concord
for some time by placing the thorough
ly ripened clusters in baskets or boxes,
with the leaves of the vine below and
between them. We do not know how
long this will keep these grapes, but
We saw. some in excellent condition
several weeks after the harvest was
over. Those who set grape vines
should he aware that no one variety
will meet every requirement, and that
the earlier the variety, the less likely it
will be to keep.