MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 403 



■dollars will bring by mail to your postoffice 200 the best varieties. By 

 express in large quantities about one-fourth. I have sent by express 

 500 miles with good success. 



Will strawberries run out? This and others about strawberries 

 you will find answered iu the Journal, June 20, 1895, on Horticultural 

 page, under heading "Questions visitors ask in the berry patch.'" 



Letters on file asking information on raspberries and blackberries, 

 will be answered in my next. Jacob Faith. 



The Preservation of Vegetables. 



As ordinarily kept, the root crops of the garden soon become 

 shrivelled, and lose their flavor, or in some cases become "pithy" and 

 "woody." This can to some extent be remedied if they are packed 

 away in the fall in dry sandy soil. While the shrivelling is for the 

 most part prevented, the flavor suffers to a considerable extent. Per- 

 haps the best material in which to pack them, and one that is un- 

 equalled in retaining the vegetables in their normal condition, is found 

 in the leaves of most of our forest and shade trees. Oak leaves are 

 rather thick and coarse, but those of the maple, elm, poplar and other 

 trees answer well. As they drop in the fall, they should be gathered 

 and used at once. If allowed to become dry it will be well to rake 

 them into piles, and either wet them down or leave them until wet by 

 rain. ,^s soon as the excess of water has drained off they can be used. 

 Dry leaves will answer if the vegetable room is damp. The vegeta- 

 bles should be packed in alternate layers in the leaves, in either bins 

 or boxes. 



Onions, like other bulbs, can be easily preserved if kept dry, and 

 although, if this is observed, they will stand a considerable range of 

 temperature, it is desirable that they have a temperature of from 35 

 to 45 degrees. When in a damp room they start readily, especially if 

 at a high temperature, and as a spring approaches the buds start even 

 if kept comparatively cool. Care should be taken not to store onions 

 in too large bulk, and to prevent heating they should be in shallow bins 

 or in crates. 



Although considerable trouble is experienced with the preserv- 

 ing winter squashes, they are among the easiest vegetables to carry 

 through the winter. One source of trouble is that they are often left 

 too long on the vines and subjected to severe frosts. Even if not 

 quite ripe it is best to gather them (if the vines are thick it is gener- 

 ally safe to risk one frost ) and place them in some sunny spot where 



