Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-17
PACKING APPLES.
How to Keep tho Fruit In Prime Con
dItlon for Winter Consumption.

How TO Keep thc fruit III irHho SSH
dltlon for Winter Consumption.
"Handlc apples as you would eggs"
is good advice. Do not shake them
from the tree. When basket is handed
down from the tree another is returned.
while the apples in the basket are sorted.
The sorting is easily done by having an
empty basket at one hand, into which
the choice apples are placed. while the
culs are placed in p'e on the ground,
An experienced man can sort rapidly
and accurately. The choice apples are
commonly placed directly in the barrel.
Only clean barrels should be used. Old
our-barrels, unless carefully washed
and dried, will usually impart musty
flavor to the fruit before midwin,cr,
especially if the air in the cellar Is moist.
The first apples which are put in mar kct
barrels should be ''faced. The facing
consists in placing two or three layers
on the lower head with stems down; that
is, with stems pointing towards the
head. Clean, bright apples of ordinary
size should be selected for this purpose.
The rest Of the apples may be poured
into the barrel. This pouring, if prop
erly done, will not injure the apples.
Eggs can be poured. Use basket with
u swinging handle, one which can be
lowered into the barrel and turned while
there, and hold the apples back
with tho hand, so that they will
not pour too rapidly. Two or
three times during the filling
shake the barrel gently to settle
the apples firmly. Face the upper head
in the same manner as the lower one.
1t is desirable not to head up the barrel
at once. Cover with boards to keep out
the rain, and let the barrels stand open
four or five days. 1t is not, however,
always possible to cover the barrels, in
which case they may be headed up at
once and turned down on their sides.
in this condition they will shed water.
Thus far have spoke of packing out OF
doors. The best results are always Sc
cured under cover A cheap shed,
which will not leak, is sufficient. 1t
should be erected in cool and shady
place, as on the north side of build
ing. The apples can then be carted to
the shed in the baskets just rs they come
from the tree, in spring wagon. i
baskets can not be had in sufficient
quantity, the apples can be emptied
from the pickers baskets into small
boxes in the wagon. Excellent boxes
for this purpose are empty grocers
boxes which will hold about n bushe!
or the contents of two baskets, and still
not be so full as to prevent other hoNe'
being set on them. A hole should bt
made in each end large enough to nd
nit the hand. Such boxes can be han
died with dispatch. From thes'
, the apples can be sorted into bar
r,ls, and the barrels can be heade'
r up at leisure. 1t is imperative that thu
, apples should not rattle in the barre
/, after it is headed Apples shrink 1t
, tie after they are barreled. They vii
I usually sweat, also. Therefore, della.
( the heading up for some days. The bar
8 rel should be rather more than ful
5 when the head is put in, If the uppc
5 layer Of apples is considerably bruse'
5 no harm will result, especially if tn
0 head is soft wood, so that the juice
readily absorbed. 1t Is better TO jar
, these apples severely than to allow thos
n in the interior to rattle. II the headIn
done in building, n lever press
+ simple construction does good worl
Il hut 1t requires two men, one to pres
e and one to adjust the head. A lcvI
q pres. is nothing more than lever III
/, der girt with the barrel for a fulcrun
:. The ordinary screw press is troabl
@ some. 1t persists in Slowing to one So
IS rs soon rs strong pressure is apple'
/. This may be remedied by having Il
.. iron standards. thick and stiff, and s
- curing long set in which the scre
shall work. II this sot or thread is toI
IL or five inches deep, and il the woodc
r. cross bar in which il rests is correspon'
II ingly thick and heavy, and well secure
il to the iron standards, the press shou
| do good work. have never seen sue
n a press for sale; it must be made to o
10 der.
ts Great pains must be taken in sortin
st Few people are aware OF what cons
A. tltes lirst-class apple. Such an app
10 must not be immature, overr.pe, worm
"a or otherwise injured in any part, scab
n. or bruised. Very small apples from 4
Of interior of the tree are usually imm
r. ture. Large aud highly-colored appl
to are apt to be wormy, overripc or of po
quality. With some experience one G.
be able to tell n first-class apple by