344 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



The grape is the fruit for the people. It is enjoyed by all and injures none. 

 ^\'hile there are things about it that the .skilful vineyardist hardly understands, 

 the fact remains that when a man plants a few vines, he and his family have 

 grapes : while those who hesitate on account of possible failure, deprive their 

 families of this fruit. — M. Crawford, in Farm and Fireside. 



To Keep Grapes and Pears. — By exercising care in selecting and 

 handling the fruit, both grapes and pears can be kept for a long time, at least 

 until after the holidays. The most important item is to use only sound speci- 

 mens. There is no advantage gained in using bruised or partially decayed fruit, for 

 it will cause the sound to decay more quickly. Select the largest bunches of 

 grapes and lay them out separately for a day or so, to partially cure, cutting 

 away any berries that are in the least damaged. Use sawdust for packing, 

 putting a layer first, then a layer of grapes, (each bunch being first wrapped 

 with paper,) followed by another of sawdust, and so on until the box is full. 

 Set the boxes where they will keep very cool, but not freeze. A great deal 

 depends upon even temperature Pears will keep in a much warmer place, 

 but like the grapes, the temperature must be uniform. Take perfectly sound 

 pears, not too ripe, for even quite green ones will ripen nicely in this way. 

 Spread them out one layer deep in shallow boxes or drawers. Wrapping each 

 separately in paper will help to preserve them. Keep dark, but above all keep 

 the temperature even. The constant changing from warm to cold and vice 

 versa is the main cause of decaying. 



Grape Juice. — The grapes should be of the best quality. Wash them 

 thoroughly, after stripping from the stems and discarding any that are imper- 

 fect. Throw them into a granitized kettle with half a pint of water to every 

 three quarts of fruit, skim when they begin to boil, and cook very slowly for 

 ten minutes. While still boiling hot, strain through a jelly bag, squeezing the 

 skins and seeds into a separate receptacle, as the juice from them will be apt to 

 be discolored. Return the liquid to the preserving kettle, and after boiling 

 lialf an hour, seal in heated glass cans like fruit. The juice from seeds and 

 skins may be bottled separately. It can be safely kept till grapes are again 

 ripe, if packed in a cool, dark place. The absence of light is as imperative as 

 the al>.sence of heat. Cooled on ice, it makes a delicious and wholesome bever- 

 age, and is supposed to have specially tonic qualities. If grape juice cannot be 

 kept in a very cool place, add one cup of sugar to every quart of juice at the 

 end of an hour, then boil ten minutes longer. 



