PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 165 



and laid them very gently upon a table. I then dipped the ends 

 of the stems into a little melted wax or sealing wax. Perhaps 

 that was not essential, but, at any rate, it did no harm. I left 

 them upon a table, in a cool and rather dark room, for a M^eek or 

 two, until fully dried and sweated. I then took a candle box and 

 spread upon the bottom of it a little layer of cotton ; upon that 

 a layer of dry old newspaper ; upon that bunches of grapes so 

 laid as not to touch each other ; upon them another layer of cot- 

 ton and of newspaper ; then another layer of grapes ; and so on 

 alternately until the box was filled. I then put the box in the 

 coolest place in the garret, and let it remain until the frost was 

 so severe that it was dangerous to leave them there any longer, 

 when I put it into the coolest chamber I had where there was no 

 danger from the frost. There they would remain with verylittle 

 loss of flavor, even to March or April. I have prepared them in 

 granulated cork, in vats, in bran, &c., but the plan I have given 

 was the most successfid. 



Mr. Carpenter. — Without claiming to answer the question from 

 my own experience, I may say that I have learned from my friends 

 two different ways, both claimed to be effectual. In each case 

 all the care recommended by Mr. Pardee must be exercised in 

 selecting and preparing the grapes for being packed. One method 

 is then to pack them in wheat bran, holding them in the box with 

 the stem downward so that the berries shall fall apart as much as 

 possible, and then pouring the bran between the berries, The 

 other method is to lay the bunches in an earthen jar, glazed upon 

 the inside, without anything between them, and covering over 

 the jar to bury it in a drj' sandy soil beyond the reach of frost. 

 The gentleman who described this method, and who was the only 

 person from whom I have heard it, stated that after tlie ground had 

 thawed in the spring he had found the grapes in great perfection. 



The Chairman. — The inversion of the bunch to divide the ber- 

 ries seems to me an ingenious and useful device ; for if it is desi- 

 rable that the berries of different bunches should not touch each 

 other, it is desirable that the berries of the same bunch should 

 be separated, so far as it is possible to do so. 



Mr. Carpenter. — The grapes received from Europe seldom come 

 in perfect order, unless the passage is short. They now use the 

 granulated cork, which is better than the sawdust, which was 

 formerly used. 



Mr. Burgess. — Whenever bran, sawdust or cork is to be used, 



