The record-union., 1892-04-21
FARM And ORCHARD.
Ways of Preserving Fruits---0nly
the Best Should be Used.
An Interesting Article on Pruning De-
ciduous Fruit Trees-why High
Farming and Woodworking Do
Not Go Together-Poultry on the
Farm-Miscellaneou

In talk before the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society, Miss Parloa, an
authority, made the following remarks
regarding the preservation Of fruit:
The most primitive method of presery-
ing fruits was by drying the raw articles
IN the sun and air, and this is still prac-
tlced. Artificial ways are now used, but the
sun develops IN some fruit flavor which
is lacking when artificial heat is used.
Although many OF the large raisin-grow-
ers IN California have drying-houses,
they resort to them only when the sun
TAILS. In the case Of peaches, apples and
aprlcots, the fruit has a fresher and
more appetlzing appearance when cured
IN evaporatOrs, and its commercial value
is, therefore, greater. When drying fruit
1t is important not only that 1t shall be
II shall be quickly prepared and rapidly
dried. When ali moisture is expelled 1t
Will keep for years in dry place.
The second method OF drying is to
cook the fruit long time. reducing it as
nearly as possible to a paste, spreading
this in thin sheets and drying III the sun
by evaporation. When free from moist
ure this fruit can be packed in boxes and
will keep indefinitely. When fruit dried
by either of these two methods Is to be
used, 1t must be softened by the addition
of water, and by cooking. A third pro-
cess of drying is to cook the fruit Tor
long time with sugar and water ana then
partially dry it. In this case the sugar IS
largely the preservatiVe agent, ana the
drying goes on until no syrup drips.
Then the fruit is packed closely IN boxes
or jars and will keep well Ia any climate,
hardening, of course, when exposed to
the air for a considerable PERIOD. inns
fruit is ready for use at any time, but IS
more of a CONNECTION than a sauce.
''Some fruits can be canned without
heat or sugar. The jar should be packed
full of the fruit and then placed under a
faucet, having the water run IN rapidly
for minute, that all the air in the jar
shall be displaced; then sealed and put
away in a cool, dark place. Perhaps not
many kinds Of fruit would keep if put up
in this manner. Certainly, l should have
no expectation of success with juicy fUlit
of any kind. have, however, been sue
cessful with rhubarb. Green go0seber-
ries and some kinds of plums can be pre-
served in this manner. 1t is question
with me if the acid in these fruits does
not have good deal to do with the keep
ing quality. Many kinds of fruit can be
mixed with their own weight in sugar,
packed in jars, sealed, and put away in a
dark, cool place. They will keep well,
and have the flavor of the fresh fruit.
have found in the case of small berries
put up in this manner that the seeds be-
come harder and more noticeable than in
the cooked fruit. | should not think of
putting up pineapple in any other way
than this, for it comes out perfect. The
third method Of preserving fruit is by
cooking it with sugar. In this case sugar
is largely the preventative; and where the
sugar is added to the fruit, pound for
pound, it is not necessary to seal the pro-
Hnot pEIt tho 6Snlf-Caalir01 81
convenient that most housekeeperS pre-
fer to use them rather than the old-fash-
toned stone jars.
Concerning the more modern process
of canning, Miss Parloa said: The de-
struction of germs and the exclusion Of
air are the principles upon which canning
Is based. The article to be preserved Is
cooked for short time and then put in
Jars from which the air has been expelled
by heating them to the boiling point
They are then sealed, and when cold are
set in cool, dark place. II all the condi-
lions be right, the fruit will keep for an
unlimited number of years, and when
opened will be found to have nearly all
the freshness and aroma OF newly gath
cred fruit. Now, this is true of the ma
iority of fruits, but not of all. The straw
berry, subjected to this process, will come
ont pale, spongy, insipid thing, whereas
the raspberry seems to have its color and
lldNOI 1ubSlSIll6G. II, HONCNGi- d gen
erous amount of sugar is added to the
strawberry in the cooking, it Will retain
its shape, color and flavor. II is an error
to attempt to can this berry without
sugar, or with only small amount"
PRUNING DECIDUoUs FRUIT TREES.
]. Luther Bowers, the Field Manager
of the California Land and Improvement
Company, in Little Lake Valley, Mendo-
elmo County, writes for the Willets Nel0S
as follows:
Mature has her own way Of pruning.
When we go out into the timber, there
we find the work of nature. Our huge
redwood trees have been touched by the
hand of nature. When young, these
trees were crowded, and the small
branches along the trunk die and drop
off, and in this way the tree is pruned,
and if it was not for this mode Of prun-
ing we would not have any OF the nice
clean lumber free from knots. In many
other ways nature prunes her fruit trees;
for instance, go out during the season OF
peaches and look at a loaded peach tree
that has never been pruned and what
will you see? A portion, If not all, of the
tree broke down from the load of fruit
it has borne, the next season we will see
nice vigorous sprouts, while another
tree, under similar circumstances, that
did not break down with its fruit, we will
see scarcely any growth at all.
w Z Will now lOllOW IIGSe TWO trees
up another season and see how they will
show up. On our tree that broke down
we will see some very fine peaches, and
on the other one we will find q lot Of poor
ones; the latter tree has made but very
little wood growth and the former has
made good wood growth and has been
increasing in vigor, and if kept pruned
viii become a fine fruit tree In our
large orchards that we are setting this
season we are cutting all of our trees
back to fifteen inches so as to try and
have our trees head out as close 10 the
ground as possible. Our prunes, peaches
and plums will prune so as to have them
in the form of an egg set on the large
end, and apples, pears and cherries to the
form of an egg set on the small end
These two systems of pruning take q
great deal of care and patience ard must
befollowed up every year on the follow
ing plan: The first year cut back to
within fifteen inches of the ground; the
second year, during the early winter
months-November and December-cut
back last years growth at least two
thirds. leaving a central shoot at least
SIX inches higher that the rest; this one
shoot is the foundation for the future
tree.
Always avoid forks: or, in other words,