September, 1917 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
3 
String Beans — Method 2 
Directly after picking, string and 
wash beans; plunge immediately 
into boiling water for five minutes; 
then plunge into cold water; drain 
on soft paper or towels; cut into 
desired form — either one-inch 
pieces or thin slices cut lengthwise, 
— and dry by artificial heat. 
If beans have become too old to 
use as string beans, allow them to 
ripen; then shell and store. 
Green Peas 
Shell freshly picked peas, steam 
ten minutes or boil five minutes in 
covered kettle with a small amount 
of water; plunge into cold water, 
drain, and dry by artificial heat for 
six or eight hours. 
Greens and Herbs 
Spinach, beet greens, lettuce, 
dandelions, and chard supply min- 
eral material and other necessary 
food substances which may be lack- 
ing in the winter diet. As great 
a variety of these as possible should 
be dried. 
Herbs are also valuable since 
they add variety to the flavor of 
winter foods. Celery tops, pars- 
ley, mint, sage, onion tops, pepper 
and cress are useful for this pur- 
pose. 
All greens and herbs should be 
carefully picked over and washed 
in several waters. These may be 
steamed ten minutes before dry- 
ing. The quicker oven method of 
drying makes them retain their 
natural color and flavor better. 
Only in very hot, dry weather 
should the sun-dry method be used. 
Dry thoroughly, condition and 
pack. 
Pumpkins and Squash 
Prepare by steaming, boiling, or 
baking; mash and spread on clean 
d: ipping pans or platters, and dry 
in the oven, stirring frequently. 
Condition and pack as indicated for 
corn. 
Pumpkin and squash may be 
sliced and dried without previous 
cooking. 
Other Vegetables 
Any other vegetables, such as 
carrots, turnips, and potatoes may 
be dried. This, however, should be 
done only when storing facilities 
are poor or when the product is 
to be shipped a long distance. 
Wash, pare or scrape; cut into !/4 
inch slices; dry and pack. 
HOW TO DRY FRUITS 
Small Fruits and Berries 
Small berries, such as blueber- 
ries, currants, gooseberries, rasp- 
berries, and even cherries and 
grapes can be very successfully 
dried. The length of time required 
is from six to eight hours. 
Use only sound, unbruised fruit ; 
wash clean and drain on soft paper 
or clean towels. Spread on clean 
dripping pans or platters and dry 
in oven. Be careful that the oven 
is not too warm in the beginning. 
A low temperature (110° F.) at 
first will be about right. If this is 
gradually raised to 130° or 140° 
F., the best results will be pro- 
duced. 
Berries may be successfully 
dried in trays in open air where 
the weather is hot and dry. 
Apples and Pears 
Wash fruit, pare, core, and cut 
into 14 inch slices. Dip imme- 
diately into a weak salt solution 
made of three level tablespoonfuls 
of salt to one gallon of water. 
Drain ; spread on trays, dripping 
pans, or platters; dry until some- 
what leathery. Condition and 
pack. 
Rhubarb 
Select young stems of rhubarb, 
wash and cut into one-half inch 
pieces, using a very sharp knife. 
If the skins are not removed, the 
rhubarb retains its pink color. 
Dry, condition and store. 
Cherry Crop Being Destroyed by 
Birds. 
The crop of cherries this year is 
liable to be a little short in this 
neighborhood, in fact, pretty short. 
There was a nice stand of the Early 
Richmonds but the birds beat the 
owners to it in nearly every case 
and the housewife who was able to 
get a few cans of them put up was 
lucky. In one garden of half a 
dozen good trees, where at least a 
bushel of cherries to the Dee was 
ripening nicely, the owners did not 
get over two quarts in all, the birds 
taking them as fast as they turned. 
The later cherries, more sour than 
the Early Richmond, do not seem 
to appeal to the birds as much, but 
at that they are making great in- 
roads upon them all over town. It 
is a question if this conservation 
and protection of birds is not 
slightly overdone sometimes, espe- 
cially when the early cherries are 
considered. One enterprising 
farmer rigged up a number of cow- 
bells in a tree, hitched a rope to it 
and tied it to a lever that worked 
back and forth on his windmill, 
which kept the bells ringing more 
or loss and thus managed to save 
a part of his crop, even though the 
music got somewhat monotonous 
after a while . — Fox Lake Repre- 
sentative. 
