New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-26
PIN MONEY IN PICKLES HOPE TO BEAUI|FY CITY
a Place for the Non-PrOfeSSional
in This Industry.

pickles come only partly by nature-they
arc born of work and worry. But they
fetch i'm money-if the work and worry are
properly expended. Notwithstanding the ef-
forts OF The professional pckle-grOwers
there is every season more and more
,oono for the non-professonal. If the nom
professional is woman with knack OF
seasoning and a dozen or SO time honored
and individual family recipes. she may
treble her profits ly herself putting up The
Yield of the pickle garden. If she lacks
time or strength or skill or facilities for
that she can at least put the pickles in
h,ine or sell them fresh-cut 10 her neigh
hors. the handy huckster or her nearest
grocer
In planning a pickle garden first look
over YOUR ground. This literally and met
sphorically The literal side has to do with
site and soil, the metaphoricai one con-
Germs the possible demand for the supply
10 he created or the possibilities Of Great
ing a new demand for something different.
Pickles worth eating are worth also fair
price. Resolve to be satisfied with nothing
less. Take account here of individual
taste. Hearty laborers relish big salt green
,rucumbers. but sniff disdain of fancy roll
iStlpS ana ODNOnleO ldUSN bi lhlNF'i ii''NNAf7
such as the mangoes and picalilli, whose
appeal TO educated paates is irresistible.
If the soil of the pickle garden is Thin
II had better be devoted to CuCumbcrs. The
long green variety Is best; il can be cut at
a Httle-fnger length. or left until almost
full grown. and still be marketable. Have
the ground made light and fine, then mark
it out accurately in squares eight feet eacn
lfvns.a .lft
holes three feet across and at least three
feet deep. Put in the bottom of them 'wo
inches Of brickbats or broken stones
or dry corncobs; over that loot
of lively stable manure. packed solid;
then iii UP level with very rlch
earth-one-third good loan. one-third leaf
mould and One-third rotted manure is
sood combination. Make the holes and fill
them i'm late May. Plant dozen seed I'm
zach sticking them down an inch or so
apart. When they sprout let them stand
for d fortnight; then pull up all but three,
leaving those most vigorous and healthy
looking.
To prevent bugs which so suck the life
from young vines have bottomless boxes
b inches high and IS inches square Paint
the wood over with coal tar or even kero-
cheesecloth. Set a cloth-covered box over
each hill as soon as the seed are up, or Le-
fore it, If there are cold, drying winds.
The bugs will not stay underneath the cloth.
and the vines there will grow so fast as TO.
te out OF danger in a fortnight The boxes
can he kept from season to season. and are
Invaluable to whoever raises cucumbe"s,
melons. sdua shes or anything of that sort.
Keep the hills light and clean, also the
whole space between them. Ploughs can
run between the hills until the vines begin
TO spread Once they fairly cover the earth
what grass comes up Will not hurt them
Rooted in the rich hills they can easily give
| odds 10 anything growing in poor soil
| When ploughing is no longer possible lit
tle hoe work and hand-weeding may be in
/ order but take care neither to bruise the
| vines nor to throw loose dirt upon the
| leaves. especially while the dew IL on.
Unless there is ready market close at
| hand get the brine barrel ready as soon as
the first flowers appear il must be clean
and sweet before the brine goes in-old
pork and fish barrels always faint their
later contents. Empty whiskey barrels Or
molasses barrels do excellenty, but should
se well painted outside with red lead TO
/
the brine of soft water and clean salt
strong enough to float an egg. 4 little
brown sugar or molasses improves the
keeping quality. Bring II to a boil ana
skim clean after everything is dissolved
Pour il into the barrel boiling hot, let
| stand a day, and skim again before putting
| in pickles.
The net result is very nearly the same
| whether the pickles are cut small or at
| fun growth. Decide in the beginning whch
! size il shall be- and stick to the decision
cut the pickles every morning. While the
i dew is on-thus they are plump and COOL
\ in the best condition for keeping. Use very
sharp shears for clipping, and take care 20
| leave the least bit of stalk to each pickle
hut never to wound, bruise or break the
| vino If by accident a vine is bruised or
| torn cut It off remOrselessly, 80 it shall
not decay and set up disease in the whole
plant. BE careful Of bruisng the pickles.
| In washing use plenty of water, and drain
| them well before putting them into the
| brine Keen a, weighted wooden cover
| floating on top of the brine. thus insuring
| that the pickles shall stay covered Put
| only one sort and size Of pickle into a
| vessel. IL saving various sorts, use brine
crooks instead of a barrel, thus making
| separation easy.
| Gherkns or prickly cucUmbcrs. are
| gown ia the same way, and yield en9r-
mously.
| x leans make excellent pickles
| liant and lend as though for boiling, pick
! when the beans are just fairly forming.
wash and put in brine. The curious plant
| known as the Martynia bears seed PODS
well worth picking. So does the nastnr-
l tium, II given cool moist, very rich plac"
10 grow Both make excellent substitutes
for capers They are not. however, very
| well worth while commercially. unless one
puts NJ pickles ones self for Il special
| trade
4 man who should know declares that
there is good money I'm freshly cut cucun-
bcrs at 20 cents peck. This for the big
fellows Very tiny ones, adapted TO fine
work should be worth three times as
much, and the intermediate sizes, finger
length and under. 70 cents 10 81 the peck.
Ia brine pickles are commonly sold in bulk
Barrel prices vary tremendously, according
TO the season, but are seldom low enough
to prevent fair margin Of proht.