The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-09-08
pREsERYINa GRAPHS roR W1nrER.

As autumn approaches, We receive u
number of inquiries as To the method oil
preserving grapes for winter Use. Ii Is
not generally understood that there is As
much difference in grapes, with respect
to their Keeping. as their is with other
fruits No one would expect TO keer
Early Harvest apples or BaEfleIt pears
Tor the holidays, and II is 20 with the
most generally cultivated grape, the
COncord: It cannot be mate to keep in
good cOnditlon long alter II Is fairly
ripe. With other varieties il is differ
ent. Tlaeres are some localities where
that grand old grape, the Catawba, can
still be cultivated with success, and,
where this Is the case, one need hardly
To look for q better variety. The Isa-
bella 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
New Year, or later. The grapes are al
lowed to ripen fully; they are picked,
| and then placed in shallow trays, in
| which they remain in an airy room TO
"cure". The operation of curing con-
sists merely in a 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 opened, the larger clusters laid in
carefully, and smaller punches packed
IN upon them in such manner that it
will require moderate pressure TO bring
the cover Tor properly the 6ottOml, OF
the hnY itC rlana Nuhnrn IL 9 nahIad
down. The pressure used is such that
when the top of the box is opened the
grapes next to it are found 10 be some
what flattened. The fruit must be press
ed in such a manner that they cannot
shake in travel. and this can only be
done with grapes the skin of which
has been toughened by being properly
cured. II clusters were placed in the
box as they came from the vines, and
subjected to the needed pressure,
the skin would crack around
the stems, liberating the juice and they
would soon pass into decay. Towards
Christmas and New Years many tons of
the varieties we have named come to the
New York market In excellent condi-
ton. New varieties of grapes, of great
excellence, have recently been introduced
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 ii
does not seem to tougher in the curing
process. Still, with these, the season
for home use may be considerably pro-
longed. The late Mr.. Knox found that
he could keep the Concord for some time
by placing the thoroughly ripened cius-
tiers in baskets or boxes, with the leaves
of the vine below and between them.
We do not know how long this will
keep the grapes, but we saw some in ex-
cellent condition several weeks after the
| harvest was over. Those who set grape
vines should be aware that no one varie-
ty will meet every requirement, and that
| the earlier the variety, the less likely ii
will be to keep.-American Agricul.
turist.