82 CULTIVATION 



TO MAKE RAISINS. 



Any family, says Mr, Spooner, may prepare their 

 own raisins from perfectly ripe, handsome, sweet 

 grapes, as follows. Make a strong lye of wood 

 ashes, put it in a vessel over the fire, and when at 

 boiling heat plunge in the clusters, and suffer them 

 to wilt in the liquid, when they are to be drawn 

 out after becoming withered and wrinkled. They 

 are then drained, and spread on hurdles to dry, in 

 an oven or the sun, — ^the alkali does not penetrate 

 into the fruit, but it has a great ejQFect in rendering 

 the skins tender, and does not injure the acid of the 

 grape. 



TO KEEP GRAPES FRESH IN WINTER. 



The writer has been successful in preserving 

 Isabella grapes through the winter, fresh and nice 

 as when first gathered, and at this present time, 

 (March,) has them sound and in good condition, by 

 the following method. Procure clean saw-dust, 

 (that from cedar wood is best if obtainable,) and 

 dry it very thorouglily in an oven or in the sun, and 

 provide a tight cask or box in which to pack the 

 fruit. Let the grapes remain upon the vines as late 

 as practicable, or until there is danger from hard 

 frost, — then carefully pick off sound, well ripened 

 clusters, and cover the bottom of your box with a 

 layer of the saw-dust — then carefully place in a 

 layer of the clusters, then the saw-dust, and so on 



