Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-11-02
horticultural Observations.

~ oohiC WIG uSNClOp oCCu-
less grape? We have white seedless
grapes, but suitable only to the climate
OF California, and now we want good
black grape without seeds. Such a
grape would sell at a fancy price on
the market. The fear of appendicitis
causes many people to take out the
seeds when eating grapes, and this
grape eating. A grape of the charac-
ter described would bring a good deal
more than the common grape.
The grape crop this year is unusual
ly large, according to reports from all
parts of the country. 1t is going into
the markets in good shape and seems
to be selling very well, probably due
to the fact that most of our other
fruit is short in supply. The people
that did not can large quantities of
other fruits because they were
scarce and high will to some extent
make it up on grapes. So we may ex-
pect the demand for grapes to be brisk
all through the fall. If we had the
large crop of grapes in good fruit years
that we have this year the price must
have dropped sharply, but the grape
crop comes in this year to fill very
large deficiency in our general fruit
supply.
A standard apple barrel is needed in
every state. Some of the societies
that have to do with shipping apples
have long since adopted a barrel that
they try to make obligatory on all
members, but they are able to succeed
only in certain localities. The apples
that are being sent to Chicago are be-
ing packed in barrels that are very
often found to be far below. the stand
ard. 1t is reported that apples from
Michigan are coming forward in such
small barrels that they threaten to do
great damage to the reputation of
Michigan apples. In fact, when a man
orders a barrel of apples he is fire.
quently disappointed at getting an I'M
der-sized barrel. 1t would be we'll if
our state laws described some kind
of a barrel that could be considered
legal. The buyer would then at least
have some rights in the case, for he
could return every understood barrel
and demand the refunding of his
money. AS it is now he seems with
out recourse. Meanwhile the men that
are shipping fruit in honest barrels are
being injured, for the tendency of the
understood barrel is to drag down the
price per barrel.
It requires some care to keep onions
in the best Of condition, whether the
amount be large or small. OF course
it is more difficult to keep large than
small quantities on account of the
tendency of large quantities to heat
and thus start growth. The onions
should, in any case, be stored loosely
in such a manner that the air can
move through them. 1t is better not
to store them on tight floors where no
air can pass. II the storage must be
over such floor, it is better to create
an air space between it and the onions.
This may be done by laying scantlings
over the floor, and put loose boards
above them, with good-sized cracks
between them. This does not give an
ideal draft, it is true, but it is better
than no airing at all. There is more
danger of onions sprouting than freez-
ing, and the temperature must be kept
down. A good temperature for onions
is about the freezing point, which will
not injure them. II they do get frozen,
no attempt should be made to thaw
them out, but they should be covered
up with straw or something Of like
nature. SO that the thawing will be
gradual. Frozen onions should not be
handled, as it causes bruising and con-
sequent rotting.
The fall of the year is the time to
manure the ground for certain early
spring crops, and this manuring should
be done early enough in the fall to
permit the manure to become incor-
porated with the soil and partly rotted.
1t must be remembered that it takes
time for this to be done, and that time
does not exist in the spring between
the time when the ground is warm
enough for seed and when early crop
seeds are planted. Thus. If we want
early peas, they must be put in the
ground in March. II they have plenty
of plant food. prepared for them the
previous fall. they will push up rap
idly and make a good growth before
Towering, which means that the har-
vest will be abundant. If, as is fire.
quently the case. the manure, green
at that, has been put in the ground
at about the same time as the peas.
they will be unable to use 1t in time
to do much good. The early stimula-
ton is of the most value. What APP
plies to early peas, applies. equally well
to manuring for early cabbage. lettuce.
radishes. and In fact all early vege-