Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-25
THE ORCHARD.
Food Value of Apples.


a writer in the Ame,icnm C,1,;,oto,,
says: Fruit as an article of food ''s ava
n aore especially apples, has been proved Il
~ great value. Some farmers save an.
. ,u"ils IN various ways quite a sum of
tfn .o:.y ny the use of green and dried
t .luie upon their tables, not merely Inv
;n amount OF aliment afforded, but add.
- W me variety and to the list of lux
~ oties s, enables them to reduce the amount
o.1ef ana more costly articles. By
plantlng rich and high favored sorts
lot culinary purposes, instead of those
y, " an interior grade, a great saving nav
ue maze IN sweetening and spices. The
amount OF sugar and other ingredients
used Tor making bad apples good is
often more than enough to b1v GOOD
apples, sugar and all. Fall pippins' for
example, at SO cents per bushel, have
oeen found more economical than moor
ana lnslpld varieties at Is cents per
oushel. BY free use of the best sweet
;hPPies through autumn and winter for
Daklng and for buildings, some families
nave avoided large expenditures. The
aggregate saving in the million of
Amer'can families who might enjoy the
privilege OF plenty of fruit, with a gem
eral cultivation of the best kinds for a
succession the year through, might per-
maps be set down, without extravaganza Q,
as more than half the expenses of the
general government.
NO less important is the value of the
fruit as an article of food for domestic
animals. Although direct and careful
experiments weighing and measuring
are still wanting, enough has been as.
certalned to prove that apples, especially
the richer, sweet varties, as food for
cattle and swine, are fully equal to pota-
toes. and some of the most careful
trials already made indicate their de-
clded superiority, being about as seven
to five. The chemical analysis of these
two productions shows the superiority
OF the apple in the aliment it contains,
and also proves that some sorts excel
others In richness and value. Hence
the Importance of ascertainingb by careful
trial those sorts best adapted to feeding
and fattening.
For fattening swine, apples are par
ticularly excellent. Some farmers have
saved large percentage of the expense
OF pork making by allowing their hogs
to run on part of their orchards while
the autumn fruit was falling from the
trees. farmer last year sold $40 worth
of pork fattened largely with the drop
pings" of only half an acre of good
grated orchard. The process was COM
pleted by week or two of feeding with
grain. Even common seeding apples,
if cooked, are valuable.
In one experiment, 500 pounds of pork
were made from 100 bushels of apples.
There is no doubt, however, that selected
grated varieties would have been found
much superior. Even the hogs them
selves are good judges, and show much
discrimination in choosing the best
trees whenever plentiful supply is al
lowed them. For milch cows, sweet
apples regularly and moderately fed,
after being sliced to prevent choking,
have been found to increase the milk
considerably in quantity. They are also
good for horses, as we'll as for nearly all
other domestic animals.