October: Third Week 



SAVING THE SEASON'S PRODUCE: HARVESTING 

 AND STORING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS 



In harvesting, as in planting, the various crops may be 

 considered in two general groups the hardy and the tender. 

 The small grower may not be able to have storage facilities 

 especially designed to accommodate special crops, but he 

 can provide suitable quarters by the use of a little ingenuity. 

 A good dry, cool, tight cellar is of the greatest value for 

 storage purposes, but even where such is not available, 

 substitutes may be found. Among the tender crops which 

 will need attention first, are the following: 



SQUASHES, PUMPKINS, MELONS and CUCUMBERS should be 

 gathered before danger of first killing frost. Usually a light 

 "touch" that blackens the foliage will come first as a re- 

 minder, but if it is getting late in the season, do not wait for 

 this warning. The muskmelons and cucumbers may be cut 

 where the stem joins the vine, but the squashes, pumpkins 

 and watermelons should be cut with an inch or so of vine 

 on each side of the stem, which should never be broken off. 



Brush the soil from under the side, and turn them bottom 

 side up to dry thoroughly. Handle them always as if they 

 were eggs. Even though the rind may seem quite hard it 

 bruises very easily, and a bruise that cannot be seen at all 

 when it is made will develop later into a decayed spot that 

 will spread rapidly over the whole fruit and possibly spoil 

 those next to it. The drier the air the better (an ideal place 

 being in a room with a furnace or stove), but the temper- 

 ature should be kept as near forty degrees as possible. 

 Don't discard the small immature squashes gathered: these 

 are the best to keep, and often may be had in good condition 

 for the table after the larger ones have been used. Melons 



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