The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-11-23
Packing and Preserving Apples.

Nothing in connection with or
charding calls louder for improv
ment than the packing of apples
-Fhe reputation of orchardists has
suffered greatly in the past by the
condition of apples in barrels wher
Opened in the large markets of the
country. In too many cases barrels
have been opened with one or two
Layers Of large, fair, sound apples
|6n top, and the middle filed up with
small, gnarled, wormy apples, utterly
unfit for dessert fruit, or for any
other purpose. The entire business
suffers from such dishonesty on the
! part of the few. If the first pur.
chasers from producers were careful
enough in their inspection, such
fruit would be rejected, and dishon-
est packers would be the only losers
but in the rush of business, barrels
are passed without proper inspcc-
tion, 90 on to the seaboard cities.
are there detected, and as the guilty
ones cannot be discovered, the repu-
tation of all engaged in the bust
ness suffers.
In packing apples, the ends of the
barrels should fairly represent the
entire contents. There can be no
objection to placing the stems of the
bottom layer down, so that the end
will look more attractive when it is
opened as the top, in market, but it
is poor policy to put any but mar
ketable fruit in any part of the bar
rel. Even though the packer may
never be detected, and obliged to
lose money in consequence, he is
sure to lose that which is more val
uable than gold-character. Man.
hood will shrink, shrivel, under such
violations of moral law.
The packer should never drop the
apples into the barrels They should
be assorted in small round baskets
that can be put into the barrels and
carefully inverted, when they reach
the fruit. Two or three times while
filling, the barrel should be well
shaken, so that the fruit will settle
down and fill all interstices possible.
The barrel should be filed at least
even with the top of the slaves, so
that when the head is pressed in
with screw there can be no shak-
ing of the fruit.
Apples are very liable to COM
mence decaying in the mild weather,
between gathering, and cold, freez-
ing weather. To guard against this
as much as possible, they should be
kept where it is cool, and as little
change as possible in temperature
between1 night and day. If kept
where the temperature falls consid-
erably during the night, and rises
during the day, the fruit will under
go what is called the sweating pro-
cess. The temperature of the ap-
pies will be reduced during the
night, and when the warmer air en-
tiers the barrel during the day, the
suspended moisture in the air, will
be condensed upon the surface of
the apples, covering them with mois-
ture. Ii the barrels are stored in a
cool cellar the windows should be
kept closed in the daytime and open
ed for ventilation in the coolest part
of the night. Some preserve them
very well by piling them upon the
north side of a large building.
b If there is good market open
for the fruit, it probably lis as well
to sell them at once, as to hold for
a rise. 1t used to be the rule that
the price of apples kept advancing
until spring, but recently the mar
ket has. been very uncertain. So
wide territory is now competing
in the markets of the world that it
often happens that buyers do not
ascertain the amount of production
until quite late in the season, when
they find that, it exceeds previous
estimates. A good many have not
yet forgotten their loses by holding
last season. d.se a. n