218 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



summer, we were delighted with the new aspect 

 which they were giving the country, by the cultiva- 

 tion of the pine, as well as by their unaffected hos- 

 pitality. We hope, yet, to help them drive a school 

 of black whales ashore, and then take a nap in the 

 shade of their beautiful pines ! 



For the New England Farmer. 



KEEPING WINTER APPLES. 



"Ap])les have never kept better than the past 

 winter," is a very common remark. Now we need 

 only to look at the uniform, steady cold of the past 

 season, and we discover one pretty essential condi- 

 tion for ])reserving fruit. 



Apples will not freeze when water will ; but a 

 very low temperature will injure the fruit for pres' 

 ervation, when the mercury rises. Perhaps it is 

 best to keep the apple cellar at about thirty-four 

 degrees. 



A great many absurd ideas prevail about keep- 

 ing apples. One man in this town fills his barrels 

 in the fall, and then throws in a pail or two of well 

 water! A good many fill the barrels, and head 

 them tight, and leave them under the trees, on the 

 damp ground, exjiosed to all the storms. Some 

 head up, and ])ile the barrels, and cover with a few 

 boards. The apples in these cases are out of sight, 

 but are damaging. Let us see how : 



The "sweating" of stones is a familiar spectacle ; 

 or of the pitcher of ice water upon the summer din- 

 ner-table. The well-known explanation is, that the 

 watery particles — the vapor in the atmosphere — is 

 condensed as it comes in contact with a colder body, 

 and tails upon its surface. 



Now apples, when cold, act upon the warm air 

 like cold stones, or the iced water pitcher. The 

 apple is covered with a highly varnished surface, as 

 smooth and as impervious to moisture as the glazed 

 water pitcher. 



It must be seen that a frequent showering after 

 the fruit has ripened will s1o\a ly dissolve this beau- 

 tiful varnish, which Nature has so delicately laid on. 

 If you break through the hard enamel of the tooth, 

 the bony part hastens to decay. If the skin of the 

 apple is injured, in hke manner the pulp soon per- 

 ishes. 



I see no reason to believe in the "sweating" of 

 apples, by which is meant, that moisture passes out 

 of them ; I think it a mistake. When kept in 

 thick bodies, or, when closely confined, as in bar- 

 rels, moisture will collect upon them. I have en- 

 deavored to show the true cause. The amount of 

 moisture, however, will depend upon the sudden 

 changes of the temperature. It will never be seen, 

 I imagine, where apples are ke])t at an even tem- 

 perature. 



When apples are packed in barrels, and become 

 damp, as they invarial)ly will, every impurity about 

 the barrel moulders and becomes offensive. Ap- 

 ples rapidly absorb foul odors, and how often the 

 fine, natural flavor is gone, and an earth}', fishworm, 

 or musty and offensive one, substituted. 



i had the impression once that ap])les must be 

 "headed up" ever to see the spring, I have 

 proved, by many years' experience, that some kinds 

 will endure till Summer, if left in open barrels or 

 boxes. I prefer bins to bold apples. The a])plcs 

 keep better, and are sorted with more dispatch, to 



say nothing of less room being required for storing 

 the same quantity. 



Apples that are intended for spring sales should 

 be gathered more carefully. They ought never to 

 be turned from the basket to the barrel. A little 

 care here will save much future loss. 



I have some further thoughts upon this subject, 

 which I defer till a future time. 



I wish, Mr. Brown, that you would "call up," as 

 you do so successfully, as President of our Farm- 

 ers' Club, Mr. Simon TuTTLE, of Acton, Mass. His 

 large experience in wintering apples entitles him 

 to the Jloor ; which, for him, I now cheerfully 

 yield. w. D. B. 



Concord, Mass., March 25, 1856. 



Remarks. — Mr. Tuttle is called for. 

 be kind enough to "let his light shine ?" 



Will he 



For the New England Farmer. 



HOW TO MAKE GOOD BUTTER. 



Mr. Editor : — Having read several communica- 

 tions in the Farmer on making good butter, and 

 not seeing any that comes up to my ideas, I will 

 now give m) practice, (or rather, that of my wife,) 

 and some of the causes of not making good buttec; 



1. Milk should never be set for butter in a dark, 

 damp cellar — as is the case with butter-makers in 

 this section — as the cream is thereby moulded be- 

 fore it has had time to rise, which gives the butter 

 a mouldy taste. 



2. The milk is allowed to set too long before be- 

 ing skimmed, which gives it a cheesy taste. 



3. The cream is kept too long, before it is churn- 

 ed, after it is skimmed, which gives it the taste of 

 the other tMO ; and also a sour taste. 



4. The butter should never be washed in water, 

 because it takes away that beautiful aroma so es- 

 sential to good butter. 



5. It should never be taken in a person's warm 

 hands, as the heat melts a certain portion of the 

 globules, which gives it an oily taste, and makes it 

 become rancid very soon. 



6. The milk should be set in good clean tin or 

 earthen pans, in a dry, open, airy and shady place, 

 above ground, if possible, although a cellar may be 

 so built, and ventilated, as to answer the purpose. 

 It should never set over twenty-ibur hours, in warm 

 weather ; and for a dairy of three cows or over, the 

 cream should be churned every morning, and nev- 

 er be kejjt over forty-eight hours, in warm weather ; 

 in cold weather, it may be kept longer. It should 

 always be about the same heat that the milk is 

 when drawn from the cow, and churned steadily, 

 and I have never known it to fail of coming readi- 

 ly ; (we use a cylinder churn) it is then taken from 

 the churn with a wooden butter ladle, into a wood- 

 en tray, which has been well scalded and cooled in 

 pure cold water ; the salt is then worked in, to suit 

 the taste, with the ladle, which is easily done, with 



little practice, and the butter-milk well worked 

 out ; it is then set away in a cool place for about 

 twenty-four hours, when it is well worked over 

 again, as long as milk or pickle can be worked out. 

 Butter made in this way, and put down in stone 

 pots, and kept from the air, will keep good for a 

 long time. c. S. W. 



Kenntbunk Depot, March, 1856. 



