Vol. 1.— No. 9. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



69 



KEEPINGS APPl/ES. 



The subject of keeping apples, and other 

 kinds of fruit for winter use, as well as culina- 

 ry vegetables, is a matter of considerable con 

 sequence. With regard to the management 

 of apples, there has been, and is still, one o- 

 pinion entertained by nuny, which we con- 

 sider very absurd ; that is, putting apples in a 

 large heap, " to sweat," as it is commonly cal 

 led. By this, many suppose that a greater 

 quantity of moisture is dissipated from the 

 apples, than I here would be if they were spread 

 thin on'the floor ; but the contrary is the truth. 

 We do not know the necessity of drying ap- 

 ples before they are packed away ; but this 

 we do know, that when large quantities of ap- 

 ples are put in a heap, or binn, and suffered to 

 remain for any length of time, unless the tem- 

 perature is very low, the skin of the apples is 

 affected, and the rotting very much facilitated, 

 and the apples imbibe a disagreeable flavor, 

 which can never be got rid of. 



We do not know of any fruit that we think 

 would pay better for careful attention than ap- 

 ples. They are commonly sold in this mar- 

 ket, iu the fall, at from twenty-five to thirty 

 one cents per bushel ; and in June, from 

 seventy-five cents to two dollars par bushel, 

 and even scarce at that. 



Many of those sold and used in the fall and 

 early in the winter, are kinds which might be 

 kept until June, with proper attention, and 

 other kinds might be brought to market at that 

 season. 



Now let us make a little calculation in this 

 matter. A load of russets, of thirty bushels, 

 are sold in the fall at thirty-one cents per bush- 

 el, amounting to nine dollars and thirty cents ; 

 now the same quantity of apples, brought to 

 market in June, would fetch at least one doU 

 \ar and fifty cents per bushel, which would a- 

 inount to forty-five dollars ; or thirty-five dol- 

 lars and seventy cents for keeping a load of 

 apples through the winter. Now we will sup- 

 pose that two bushels of the thirty rotted, 

 which we think would be equal to the actual 

 loss, when well taken care of; then we have 

 thirty-two dollars and seventy cents for win- 

 tering a load of apples, which only requirp 

 the care of letting them alone — a monstrous 

 task. 



Now to keep apples through the winter in 

 the most approved method, the farmer should 

 provide during the dry weather, in the fall, a 

 quantity of pit or beach sand, which he should 

 spread upon boards in the sun, until perfectly 

 dry, when it may be put away for use. When 

 his apples are in condition for gathering, let 

 them be hand-picked, and carried to the cham- 

 ber, or they may he taken at once to the cel- 

 lar. A binn should be prepared with a light 

 floor, a little above thp cellar bottom, in which 

 let there be laid sufficient dry sand to cover it 

 then set in a layer of apples, at such distances 

 as not to let them come in contact with each 

 other, and then a layer of dry sand ; and so 

 on, alternately, until you have packed away 



all the apples which you intend to preserve. 



The cellaT-should be kept just warm enough 

 to prevent freezing; as the colder the better, 

 provided it does not freeze. 



Apples kept in this way are not apt to rou, 

 •hey preserve their flavor better, .•than when 



kept by any other method ; and as long as mo- 

 ney making is an object with the farmer, we 

 should think this course would not be neglect- 

 ed. 



The common culinary vegetables, used in a 

 family, are enough better, when preserved by 

 the same method, to give ample satisfaction 

 for the cost, to overy person who has any 

 choice between a superior and an indifferent ar- 

 ticle upon his table. 



LAMPAS OF HORSES. 



As the season of the year is now approach- 

 ing, when some people commenoe one of the 

 most cruel and barbarous practices, ever retain- 

 ed by any people, pretending to be civilized — 

 viz. that of burning out the lampas from the 

 mouths of young horses, we cannot refrain 

 from making a few remarks upon that subject. 



We are sensible, that some of our most en- 

 lightened readers, will say, that this article 

 should appear under the head of Vulgar Er- 

 rors ; but yet we have what we consider a rea- 

 sonable excuse for not putting it there. Most 

 of the articles •which have been placed under 

 that head, in our paper, are rather innocent 

 delusions, than partaking of the barbarous ; 

 rather superstitious rites and ceremonies, ap- 

 pertaining to property, than any retained usa- 

 ges of the dark ages of barbarity. At what 

 time or with what people this practice origina- 

 ted, we will not pretend to say; but there is 

 one nation, who should either discontinue the 

 practice, or else say less of the general diffu 

 sion of useful information ; tltat is America. 



The idea that the enlargement of that part 

 of the roof of a horse's mouth, is a disease, 

 has long been exploded by all veterinary sur- 

 geons. All horses are subject to it, between 

 the ages of three and five, more or less ; and 

 in many cases, this soft spongy enlargement, 

 descends to a level with the fore teeth, yet up- 

 on examining it, there will not be found any 

 marks of tenderness or inflammation indicating 

 disease; and if left to the operations of na 

 ture, will disappear, and the horse will have a 

 sound and healthy mouth ; not to speak of the 

 danger of bleeding the horse too freely, by o- 

 pening the palatine artery ; the manner of per- 

 forming the operation, is shocking to the feel- 

 ings of humanity, as well as painful to the ani- 

 mal. It is uncalled for, and must be consider- 

 ed a piece of wanton cruelty. 



SUGAR KETTLE. 



There has lately been introduced from Ohio, 

 and are for sale at some of our hard-ware 

 stores, kettles expressly designed for boiling 

 sugar, but will answer,^ the same time, any 

 purpose the common cauldron is used for. 



They are aboui the same diameter as a caul- 

 dron, with a flat bottom, and hold about half 

 or two thirds as much. Its advantages con. 

 sist in its power of evaporation, by exposing a 

 greater surface of sap to the air, in proportion 

 .to its contents, and requires mnch less fuel; 

 and we are convinced of its utility, in any pro- 

 cess where evaporation is concerned. 



From their peculiar shape, they can be se l 

 with very little preparation for an arch ; three 

 or four stones being all that is wanted in the 

 woods where sugar is generally made. 



They are of different sizes, and are sold at 

 from 5 to $10 each. 



WHITE BEET, OR SWISS CHARD. 



As there has been much said respecting this 

 plant, ihe year past, we trust that a desenjv 

 lion of it will be acceptable to many of our 

 readers. **.*.-. 



The seeds of this plant have been dietribu- 

 ted under several different names, as the great 

 white beet, the Sinclair beet, the sileer stalked, 

 and the Swiss chard. It is a biennial plant, the 

 leaf-stalks of which are very large, and of a 

 silvery whiteness, and are the most valuable 

 part of the plant; the leaves are thick and suc- 

 culent, and are also boiled as spinnage. The 

 ools of this plant are of but little worth, not 

 being larger than a man's thumb. It has been 

 cultivated in gardens on the continent, since 

 the sixteenth century. It is found growing 

 wild on the sea coast of spain. It is equal- 

 ly as hardy as other kinds of beets, and is sow- 

 ed early. The stalks will be fit for U6e in Au- 

 gust, and should be boiled and dressed as As- 

 paragus. 



As there lias been considerable demand for 

 the seed of this kind of beet, for one or two 

 years past, it has been difficult to procure it 

 free from admixture with the seed of other va- 

 rieties ; it may be well, therefore, for those 

 who intend raising, to plant thick, and allow 

 the plants to remain until they are about four 

 or five inches high, when they' may be thinned, 

 as at this time the genuine ones may be distin- 

 guished by the white stalks and veins of the 

 leaves. Oihers should he rejected. 



Having raised this plant, we can recommend 

 it to others as worth cultivating. 



fC The communication on the early settle- 

 ment of the Genesee Country, came to us, 

 signed " Old Genesee." We requested the 

 writer to put his proper name to it, but lie oh. 

 jected, because it was unfashionable. 



We are of the opinion, that it would contri- 

 bute to the improvement of our Essays and 

 communications, were the writers thereof, to 

 get into the habit of signing them with their 

 proper signatures ; and we fully concur with 

 the writer of the following suggestion, in this 

 respect ; and for this reason, we have taken 

 the liberty to put Mr. Hawley's name to his 

 communication, and give him the credit which 

 is so justly due him. The following is from a 

 correspondent in Michigan : 



" I would suggest the idea for consideration, 

 in relation to the Genesee Farmer, — whether it 

 would not be well, in such a paper, to have all 

 the writers for it, annex their proper names to 

 their contributions. Every article, in a work 

 of that nature, rests entirely, or nearly so, up- 

 on the authority of the writers. It is not to 

 be expected that the editors can be vouchers 

 for every article. Such an observation in the 

 paper, followed by a few examples, would 

 probably produce the effect." 



As the season is advancing, we would ask 

 the farmers of Old Genesee, if they have all 

 things in readiness for sugar making; remem- 

 ber the earlier in the season the sugar is made, 

 the whiter it will be. 

 Trees should be tapt on the south side first 

 after the season advances, on the east and 

 west sides , and lastly, on the north. When 

 the weather has become warm, rinse out your 

 buckets with lime water, now and then ; thi? 



