68 THE KANSAS CHERRY, 



DRYING CHERRIES. 



In picking cherries for the market they should never be taken 

 from the tree right after a rain. Many of them are cracked open, or 

 ready to, and these will spoil the whole crate. Let the sun shine on 

 them again before picking, and even let the birds pick the cracked cher- 

 ries for their breakfast ; these they always prefer. After the sun has 

 been on them a short time the surplus moisture will be dried and they 

 can be picked for market. After picking, rigidly sort, for the best j^ick- 

 ers will put in overripe, decayed and stemless fruit. These help rot 

 the others and thus labor is thrown away. Put only the finest cher- 

 ries in each basket, all of about the same rijDeness and size. Many 

 placed on sale show one-half of the cherry dead ripe and the other 

 half green. The appearance, if nothing else, is against them. It is 

 always better for the trees and profitable to the owner to have all the 

 fruit picked from the trees. There will be times when it will hardly 

 pay to ship them to market, and best to dispose of them some other 

 way. Make a platform of boards, in the sun, and dry the sur^Dlus. 

 It is easy to pit them, and in half a day bushels could be spread out to 

 dry. Many overripe cherries, that cannot be shipped, can be dried, 

 and the surplus thus jDreserved. Dried cherries are quoted in the 

 markets now at nine and ten cents per pound, and good qualities 

 bring even more. There is always a demand for them in the winter ; 

 they make excellent pies, puddings, and preserves. If there is no 

 other market, many can be eaten at home. It is by means similar to 

 this that the cherry crop must be disposed of ; it prolongs the season 

 and brings a fair profit to the owner. PreiDarations for drying should 

 be made before the crop is ripe, for then other work will demand the 

 attention. — S. W. Chamhers, in American Cultivator. 



HOW TO SAVE YOUR CHERRIES. 



Persons having a few trees of cherries they would like to have get 

 thoroughly ripe, and prevent the birds getting all of them, can do so 

 by hanging a bell in each tree — a cow-bell, sheep-bell, or an old 

 school-bell, any of them will do ; and they are generally lying around 

 farm-houses. Tie long pieces of binder twine to the handle of each 

 bell, and bring the other ends all together in the direction of the 

 house, and tie all to one strand of twine, so that by pulling it all the 

 bells will ring. Have this line long enough to tie the other end to a 

 na^i near the kitchen door, or some convenient place where it can be 

 given frequent pulls. When you ring the bells the birds will leave 



