THE FOREST PROBLEM IN NEW YORK. 247 



I was deeply interested in observing the effects of denuding the 

 forests on the water supply. This last summer we had such a deluge 

 that I took much interest in reading about the ark. I did not know 

 but what we needed a second Noah to save us. I have been out 

 there thirty years, and I know what drouth means, and yet the fact 

 remains, as a man significantly remarked, "The old Mississippi has 

 struck 12." The water supply is going down. Judge Crosby, of 

 Red Wing, says, "I have been watching the water supply of the 

 Mississippi, and I have noticed this in a time of flood : When the 

 waters come down now they come in a deluge, and then the head 

 waters are left comparatively dry." I heard more talk about drouthy 

 seasons in the state of New York than I ever heard in Minnesota. 

 It is a fact; we all know it is so. Why is New York a drouthy 

 state? Because her timber is stripped from her hills and mountains. 

 One thing could yet be done : if they would keep the fires down those 

 hills would soon be covered with pine and spruce, but they continue 

 in a dumb way to turn cattle and sheep on those hills to nibble 

 there, and they nibble away their forests. It is nothing short of 

 wicked for us to make use of the needs of others to save ourselves. 

 I am glad to say the prairie region is no longer treeless as it was 

 when we went into it, but at first we were whipjDed out by the north- 

 west and the southwest winds. But we had to grow trees, we had 

 to do it. We who were brought up in New England were not 

 troubled with winds that blew the dirt in our eyes, and we had to 

 get these trees as a matter of self protection. 



Best Temperature for Apples. — Experiments have proved that a 

 lower temperature than at first used by commercial houses is more desir- 

 able for apples. The temperature most satisfactory is 33 degrees and in our 

 experiment was the temperature we tried to keep. Lowering the temperature 

 does not stop all changes going on in the apple but simply delays them. Fruit 

 cannot be kept indefinitely at 32 degrees freezing, without any changes. 

 There are chemical changes going on which result in what we call over-ripe- 

 ness, mealiness and loss of flavor. This change is independent of decay and 

 is hindered by low temperature and hastened by high. — Iowa Ex. Station. 



The Ideai. Fruit Package is one that is neat and attractive to catch 

 the eye, rigid enough to carry the fruit without bruising and so made that 

 when opened to expose the fruit as much of it as possible is shown. Many 

 packages have too much ventilation. If the fruit is thoroughly cooled before 

 being packed, there is really no need of ventilation. The ideal fruit package 

 should be the largest possible package that you can get into the home. Where 

 the package must be broken, consumption is lessened. Two quarts of peaches 

 will be made to go if they are bought by the quart, but if in a small basket 

 four to six quarts will be consumed in the same length of time. Apples can 

 be marketed to advantage in baskets holding eight, ten or sixteen quarts, 

 similar to the Climax grape basket. — J. H. Hale, Connecticut. 



