The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-10-26
FARM AND FIRESIDE.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
KEEPING GRAPES IN BOTTLES.


This is a practice much adopted in France
and in Britain with grapes grown under glass.
When the fruit is perfectly ripe it is cut with
q portion of the shoot upon which it Is grow
ing. Enough of the wood is cut with the bunch
10 allow it to be inserted in a bottle of water;
six or seven inches is sufficient The bottles
are then placed on shelves having a front ledge
two or three inches in height, SO that when the
bottles are placed the neck will he slightly ele-
waited and the bunch of grapes hang clear in
front. They can also be hung TO horizontal
beams by string or small copper wire, which
is fastened 10 the neck of the bottle; the weight
Of the bunch Will bring il TO the proper angle,
so that il VIII haug clear Of the bottle The
bottles are about half filled with water; some
times TWO or three small pieces of charcoal are
put in the water, but this does not appear to he
essentially They can be kept in dark
room. where the temperature may var, from
80 10 A. The water in the bottles is seldom
changed, but the fruit is inspected once week
and any decayed berries removed, which is sell
dom necessary if the fruit was perfectly ripe
before II was cut from the vine.
This system would be worthy of trial with
some of the best of our native grapes, but could
choicest lunches of such varieties as Diana,
Iona, Eumelan, Brighton, Niagara, and Lady
Washington. Well ripened Clinton grapes can
be kept for several weeks in a drawer or on
shelves in cool room. Grapes which possess
the largest amount of sugar are the best for
keeping.
THE NEDLAR TREE.
This is low, spreading tree. a native of Eu-
rope. and. is sometimes cultivated for the sake
of lis fruits which are highly esteemed by
some. although they are not in popular favor.
The fruit is gathered Just before frost; it is
globular, and about an inch in diameter; the
skin is brown, the flesh green. hard, austcre,
and uneatable; but when kept until it begins
10 decay the green color disappears and the
pulp becomes soft and acid. There are several
varieties in cultivation. The largest fruit is
produced by the kind known as the Dutch
medlar, but the best favored is said to be the
variety called the Nottingham medlar.
Medlar Jelly, which greatly resembles guava
Jelly, is made by first washing the soft fruits,
then placing them in a cooking vessel merely
covering them with water; they are then boiled
gently till they form a pulpy mass; this is
strained through a flannel bag, and after add
ing three-fourths of pound of fine sugar to
each pint of the Juice it is boiled for about a
couple of hours, when, if properly managed, it
will be firm, and of beautiful clear yellow
color The botanical name of the tree is
We2pi'us gsrmaaicd.
MUSHROOMS.
An English paper states that experiments |
made on common mushrooms show that they |
are poisonous, but that cooking deprives them |
in a greater or lesser degree, of their poisonous
qualities The repeated washing with cold
water which they usually undergo to clean
them takes away portion Of the poison, and
boiling does the rest; bat the water in which
thcy have been boiled is highly poisonous and
shoC'd always carefully be got rid of. The
wafer in which mushrooms had been boiled
was ar more poisonous than even the raw
musH rooms; washing with cold water does not
remove all the poison, and after drying for
twelve days, and then boiled, the water was
still poisonous. They require to be dried for at
least a whole month, and are only really safe
after four months drying.
SUGAR IN CORN-sTALKs.
The following is from recent report of the
New York Agricultural Experiment Station:
LAS matter Of interest we have tested the
corn. On September 18th stalks of the Wau-
shakum variety cut from the hill and stripped
ofIeaves yielded 7OG per cent of Juice of speci
1ic gravity 1880. This Juice contained 277 per
cent. Of glucose and 800 per cent. of cane sugar
On September 18th stalks of the same variety
yielded 50.l7 per cent. Of juice of the specific
gravity lois. The juice contained 3.23 per
cent. Of glucose and G.72 per cent of cane su-
gar. The ratio Of cane sugar to glucose, it viii
be perceived, was rs LIB on September 18th I
and as Laos on September 18th. This Juice
was expressed in an ordinary jelly press, the /.
stalks having been previously crushed in a
mortar.
BAGAssE.
"The bagasse from northern sugar cane viii T
be found an agreeable change Of diet forncarly .
all kinds 81 farm stock. who devour il greedilv" 4
We find the above sentence ia an agricultural /
paper, aud insert il Tor the purpose Of asking .
our readers if they have tried any animals .
with this refuse Of the sorghum press after the /
canes have been run through 10 because we .
have often presented IL 10 cattle and horses.
but they have often refused 10 recognize it /
As food.
TOMATO LEAVES An INsECTICIDE
4 French cultvatOr states that water in
which tomato leaves have been stepped will .
destroy insects on roses and orange plants. He
also found that by placing the leaves around
the stems Of peach trees they were saved from
the curculio. The common aphis or green hv
may be destroyed in this way, but the curculio
and orange scale-nsect could not, we fear be
got rid Of on such easy and simple terms