48 THE SEED-GROWER. 
busy picking the ripe fruit and emptying on the ele- 
vator. As the fruit is crushed, the skins or rinds are 
ejected at the rear end, and left in the field in rows as 
the wagon is drawn through, and are afterwards scat- 
tered as fertilizer. Following this wagon is another 
loaded with barrels which are distributed, and to which 
the seed is transferred from the receiving pan. These 
barrels are filled two-thirds, and are hauled six at a 
time in another wagon to the fermenting house. 
If more than one variety is grown, it is very import- 
ant that the machine used for mashing fruit or for 
washing, ‘and the fermenting tank or barrel should be 
carefully washed immediately after use, so as to remove 
any seeds which may have lodged in same, and thereby 
prevent mixture of seed when using the apparatus or 
vessel for another variety. 
Fermentation or Souring.—This process is neces- 
sary with all kinds of vine seeds, excepting winter 
squash and pumpkin, in order to separate the seeds 
from the surrounding pulp. The time required for 
fermentation varies from several days to a week, accord- 
ing to weather. 
On a small scale, tight barrels will answer for fer- 
mentation; but for large acreages, it is better to build a 
tank, which may be erected either in the-field or in the 
seed house; this must be made perfectly tight. 
The pulp is poured into the barrel or tank, but not 
filled quite full to allow for expansion in bulk from 
fermentation. The liquor must be stirred thoroughly 
every day, to keep seed in contact with it, and to pre- 
vent the seed on top from becoming blackened. Pro- 
vided it is thus constantly stirred, seed may remain in 
it for several weeks without injury. One may deter- 
mine whether seed has undergone sufficient fermenta- 
