The Somerset reporter., 1896-09-03
KEEPING CRANBERRIES.
Opinions Expressed by Growers and Deal
er-- CoI"r and Keeping Quality.

er- Color and Keeping Quality.
Replying 10 thtnquiry, w hal Is the
best way To keep cranberrieS:' M the
following opinions eXpy, sd through
tho columns OF the New England Home.
stead.
A dcaler advises that tn fruit be
carefully hand pched. PLACED III open
boxes Of about hnsh capacity and
kept rs nearly Is possible II 30 degrees,
the packages 10 hemade with pine laths
for sides aid bottoms open at Top. pill
ing these crates in tiers in Il dark room
or cellar whcre the temperature may he
changed on cold days. Another dealer
in New England says the berries should
be kept in their own chat IN an open
crate, as cold as possible down to 81 de-
grees. while leading Chicago dealer,
who handles both western and eastern
berries, prefers cool and dry tempera-
tore of about 3s degrees with the fruit
in either barrels or crates.
A prominent grower of Jersey cram
berries piles them III a well ventilated
building until entirely dry, then removes
to an ordinary cold storeroom, leaving an
air space between each box. Does not OBJ
ject to temperature above 40 degrees.
He places the fruit in layers not exceed
ing s inches deep A Massachusetts,
member of the Cranberry Growers as
ISOLATION stores the fruit as soon as har
vested in basement of "a cranberry house
having cemented floors and walls, with
ventilated windows ON all sides The
cranberries are kept in the regular open
wood picking boxes, bushel size, just as
they come from the bog, at "A tempera-
ture as nearly 40 degrees as possible.
Berries thus cared for in the autumn
and subsequently put in proper winter
storage will keep until the following
summer.
Percentage of loss varies greatly ac
cording to condition and is seldom less
than 10 per cent and from that all the
way up to 25 and 40 per cent. The LOSE
depends To some extent upon the con-
dition AZ harvesting. Some seasons 1t
will be much greater than others with
the same varieties owing to unavoidable
causes. Testimony of those III the bust
ness shows that the later varieties keep
best, some dealers claiming that the
Howe berry is the best keeper. There Is
not much use in trying to keep Early
Blacks, which mature early and are
picked during warm weather. Cold
storage will not hasten colOring, but
rather will retard it. Warmth and light
will hasten the coloring, but is not adj
vised, darkness and cool temperature
serving to make the coloring more
even.
"Pile the berries in building open
on all Sides" writes G. L Holman of
Lakewood, N. j., $50 that dew can
come in, the dry wind taking it off.
O. NJ. Holmes of Mashpee, Mass,
spreads the fruit on the floor of his bog
house, which admits plenty Of air. 9th
ers advise spreading on the floor to the
depth of & to 8 inches and then turning
occasionally with rakes Early picked
berries will keep better than those we'll
ripencd, providing they are not too green
when taken from the vines. Berries
picked after fully grown and color, 4
fairly we'll and packed III boxes will
keep much longer than those which
hang on vines until ripe. Thacker
Bros, Chicago dealers, who handle
both Wisconsin and eastern fruit, prefer
berries picked just before maturity,
neither too early nor to late.