KEEPING AND STOKING. 171 



They make a delicious lunch with a bowl of milk. They 

 are also excellent for the dessert. 



Gooseberries keep well if kept tight in common bottles filled 

 with pure water. Be sure that none but perfect berries are 

 admitted, and keep in a cool place. The berries should be 

 picked before they are ripe, or edible from the hand, in 

 the stage at which they are used for culinary purposes. 



Grapes. 



1. The firm grapes usually keep best as Catawba, Ver- 

 gennes, Niagara, Diana, Jefferson, etc. Thickness of skin 

 does not appear to be correlated with good keeping qualities. 

 Always cut the bunches which are to be stored on a dry 

 day, when the berries are ripe, and carefully remove all 

 soft, bruised, and imperfect fruits and all leaves. Keep 

 the fruit dry, cool, and away from currents of air. Many 

 varieties keep well if simply placed in shallow boxes or 

 baskets and kept undisturbed in a cool, rather moist place. 

 ' 2. Pack the bunches in layers of dry, clean sand. 



3. Pack in layers of some small grain, as wheat, or oats, 

 or barley. 



4. Cork-dust is also excellent for use in packing grapes. 

 This cork can be had from grocers who handle the white 

 Malagas, which are packed in this material. 



5. Pack the bunches in finely cut, soft, and dry hay, 

 placing the grapes and hay in consecutive layers. 



6. Dry hardwood sawdust is also good for packing. 



7. Place on shelves in a cool, airy room. After a few 

 days wrap the bunches separately in soft paper and pack in 

 shallow pasteboard boxes, not more than two or three 

 layers deep. Keep in a cool, dry room that is free from 

 frost. 



8. Cut the bunches with sharp scissors, place in shallow 

 baskets, but few in a basket, and after reaching the house 

 dip the cut end of stems in melted wax. Now take tissue 

 paper or very thin manila paper cut just to the right size, and 

 carefully wrap each cluster of grapes. Secure shallow tin 

 boxes ; place a layer of cotton-batting at the bottom, then 



