MARKETING THE PLUM CROP. 



413 



require 4 to 4^^ per cent of acetic acid, 

 vineg-ar made from poor cider must be tested 

 before being' sold. 



As the amount of acetic acid in vinegar 

 will depend primarly on the percentage of 

 sugar which the cider contains, it can easily 

 be seen that to have the best cider and cider 

 vinegar, well-developed apples containing 

 enough sugar to make at least 6 per cent 

 alcohol must be used. They should not be 

 of the very sour variety nor of the ver}' 

 sweet. Russets, Smith's Cider, Snow and 

 those of that class are the best. However, 

 by judiciously mixing sweet and sour, a 

 high-class product results. 



Another element of success is a clean cider 

 mill. Of course, up-to-date cider makers 

 have improved machinery and keep their 

 buildings and presses perfectly clean, but in 

 many of the apple-growing sections, there 

 are small mills and presses. These are 

 seldom in best condition. All apple pomace 

 should be removed as quickly as possible 

 and not allowed to decay near the mill. The 

 crushing rollers and the presses should be 

 cleaned frequently and fumigated, if possi- 

 ble, by the use of burning sulphur. If the 

 pom.ace cannot be utilized for stock feed, it 



should be hauled away and spread upon the 

 land as fertilizer where it will be of the most 

 benefit. All tanks and utensils used about 

 the mill, where fumigation is impossible, 

 should be scrubbed with lye from wood 

 ashes or a strong solution of crude potash. 



If the utensils are so old that taint or 

 smell cannot be removed by this process, it 

 pays to abandon them and get new ones. 

 Where satisfactory- conditions concerning 

 surroundings cannot be obtained, it is best 

 to haul the apples to the cider mill, have 

 them worked up at once and take the cider 

 home the same day. This prevents the 

 absorption of objectionable odors and reduces 

 to a minimum the evil effects of a poorly 

 kept cider mill. 



After the juice has been extracted from 

 the apples, the cider should be kept at a 

 temperature of about 65 degrees if possible, 

 where wanted for use as cider. Even then 

 fermentation will soon begin. After a few 

 days the cider can be racked off into barrels 

 which have been well cleaned. Fermen- 

 tation, or at least the tendency to turn to 

 vinegar will be checked. — American Ag-ri- 

 ctilturalist. 



MARKETING THE PLUM CROP. 



In most cases experience has proven that 

 plums, if shipped to market in lo-lb. grape 

 baskets, provided 

 with handles, and 

 put up in neat, pre- 

 sentable shape, will 

 bring the producer 

 a greater percent- 

 age of profit than 

 if shipped in half- 

 bushel or bushel crates or packages. A 

 careful picker can fill the basket direct from 

 the tree, but the usual plan is to pick into 



TABLE FOR ASSORTING 

 PLUMS. 



large receptacles, then, carefully sorting the 

 plums, place in packages ready for market. 

 This frequent handling removes a great 

 deal of bloom from the fruit, which removal 

 should be avoided as much as possible. 



By the use of a single table as illustrated, 

 plums and other similar fruits are easily 

 assorted. The top of the table should not 

 be over 3 x 2^ ft. The sides and back, 

 r, r, r, may be 8 in. wide at the back, 

 tapering to 3 in. in front ; the front guards, 

 c c, should be less than 3 in. high, leaving 

 a 6 in. space between the inner ends ; the 



