AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 289 



the choice of a very few first-rate kinds, such as in their times 

 of ripening will just overlap one another, beginning with the 

 earliest, and running through to the latest variety. 



Those intended for keeping, whether of the summer and fall 

 or winter and spring varieties, should be gathered a little be- 

 fore they become ripe, and be carefully stored in a cool, dry 

 room or cellar. By this means the earlier kinds may be kept 

 into the fall, and fall varieties until near New Year. 



In gathering the general crop, the russetings should be 

 picked first, and in succession the other late-keeping varieties, 

 back to those intended for early winter use, unless we may ex- 

 cept from this order any particular variety which, if left upon 

 the tree, might be in special danger from winds. 



From necessity, apples are sometimes buried or binned in 

 mass ; but it is better, if possible, to store them in headed 

 barrels, in a dry, well-aired cellar, sorting out all that are de- 

 fective at least once during winter. For those of choice vari- 

 eties or of special beauty, each fruit should be wrapped in thin 

 Manilla paper, and placed by hand singly and closely in the 

 barrel, filling in as you go, if convenient, with dry chaff, or 

 buckwheat bran, or powdered charcoal, or plaster, or clean dried 

 sand, or tasteless, inodorous sawdust. All these, however, may 

 be dispensed with, simply heading the barrel well up, and han- 

 dling it carefully. 



The general modes in which apples are used need not be 

 enumerated here ; but the daily use of them in the form of 

 baked, or rather stewed apples, is so generally agreeable, and 

 so conducive to health at those seasons when other fruits can 

 only be had in the less. wholesome form of preserves, that it may 

 be recommended for universal adoption. For this purpose, the 

 apples are selected perfectly sound and free from worms, and 

 are either washed or wiped clean, and placed in a covered pot 

 or stewpan, with water and molasses in the proportion of a quart 

 of the former and a gill of the latter, or four table-spoonfuls of 

 sugar to half a peck of fruit, adding orange-peel, or sliced lem- 

 on, or ginger, or other flavoring according to taste. They are 

 then boiled over a slow fire until the remaining sirup is about 

 equal to the quantity of molasses used at first, the fruit being 



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