AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
301 
should place the dinner upon the breakfast. 
This was readily agreed to by the unsatis¬ 
fied stranger, and the dinner was soon dis¬ 
patched. “ Suppose now,” said the frugal 
farmer, “ we take supper ; it will save time 
and trouble, you know. “ Just as you like 
it,” said the eager eater, and at it they 
went. “ Now we will go to work, said the 
delighted employer. “ Thank you,” said 
the laborer, “ I never work after supper.” 
HARVESTING POTATOES. 
EXPERIENCE OF A SWISS FARMER. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist. 
It is scarcely necessary for me to begin 
this communication by saying that I read 
the Agriculturist with much pleasure (pro¬ 
bably all readers will say as much). I may 
say that I came from Switzerland, and have 
traveled in several countries on the continent, 
to observe the various methods pursued by 
farmers in performing their different kinds of 
work. I love to read the experience of others, 
and cheerfully contribute my own if it will 
gratify or benefit others. 
In answer to the inquiries of an Old Farm¬ 
er in your September issue, I would answer. 
Potatoes are a kind of Night Shade crop as 
we call it, and they grow most when the 
nights become longer. On this account it is 
preferable to harvest them as late as possi¬ 
ble. At all events we carefully keep them 
from air and light. Our farmers who have 
cellars put their potatoes in these until they 
are full, and then put the rest in pits. Ex¬ 
periments have shown a very great differ, 
ence however in the methods of pitting them. 
The following plan we have found the best : 
We dig a pit one foot deep, six feet wide, 
and as long as may be needed. If deeper 
than one foot the potatoes are more liable to 
heat. The potatoes are then putin and heap¬ 
ed up as high as they will lie, in the form of a 
long ridge. We then cover them with the 
soil removed from the pit. We use no straw 
at all , because it adds to the warmth and 
makes them sooner germinate and decay. Let 
any one try two heaps side by side, the one 
with straw under the earth put on, and the 
other without, and he will find a marked 
difference in favor of not using any straw. 
We do not leave any air-holes, finding that 
they injure the potatoes. In winter, on some 
days of extraordinary cold, we cover the 
outside of the pits with a coating of straw. 
At first only two or three inches of soil 
are put on. As it grows colder more soil is 
added. This is taken up from the sides of 
the pits in such a way as to form drains one- 
and-a-half to two feet deep. This drain is 
very important to keep the potatoes and the 
ground under them dry. When several long 
pits are arranged side by side, they are put 
four to five feet apart and a good drain is 
made between every two. A few pits thus 
arranged together resemble a fort, and pre¬ 
sent a fine sight; and in spring you may ex¬ 
pect to dig out excellent potatoes. 
In the same manner as described for po¬ 
tatoes—we preserve our turnips and other 
roots. I know of some best sugar fabriques 
[manufacturers] who cover thirty to forty 
acres with such pits. In summer this 
ground is used for garden crops raising dif 
ferent kinds of seed, &c. 
Respectfully, Henry Enderis. 
Freeport, Illinois, September, 16, 1856. 
“ HARD CIDER.” 
Since this article does not enter into the 
present political campaign as a distinctive 
feature, there will be no extra demand for it 
this Fall. Still, good cider, to be used in 
the manufacture of vinegar, apple sauce, 
“apple butter,” &c., will be in fair request 
and at good prices, as the apple crop in most 
sections of the country will be far from 
abundant. With a little experience as well 
as observation upon cider making, as it is 
generally carried on, we have become rather 
fastidious in purchasing cider, “ hard” or 
“ soft,” even though it be designed for vine¬ 
gar only. Last Autumn we happened near.'a 
cider mill in operation, and had the curiosity 
to examine a pile of the fruit brought there 
to be “ ground up.” To say nothing of the 
filthy condition of the apples—some of which 
gave indubitable evidences that the cows had 
pastured under the trees where they grew 
and had fallen—we counted enough of them 
to estimate that each barrel of cider would 
contain the expressed “juice” of not less 
than one thousand apple worms, or over 
forty worms to each gallon—that is, ten to 
a quart, and so on. The reader, if a cider 
drinker, must estimate for himself how many 
enter into the composition of one of his 
draughts. 
We are told, however, that all impurities 
“ work off” during fermentation, but we 
are still puzzled to know by what chemical 
law the “ worm extract,” “ liquid manure,” 
and such like fluids, are led to separate from 
the simon pure apple juice. Perhaps this is 
not desirable. Who can say that the rich 
flavor of certain kinds of cider, including 
that exported and re-imported as cham¬ 
pagne, may not be owing to an excess of 
oily matter from the bodies of those fatty 
animals hatched from the egg of the cod¬ 
dling or apple moth, deposited in the matur¬ 
ing fruit ? A friend at our elbow suggests 
that the worms feed upon, and grow from 
the apple, and are only a part of it. We 
give it up. Be gustibus non est disputan- 
dutn , 
However, we will suggest to apple grow¬ 
ers, that wormy apples are generally nearly 
devoid of juice, while they are not deficient 
in nutritive matter for swine and other ani¬ 
mals ; and that it will not only add to the 
pleasure of consuming the product of the 
cider mill in its various subsequent forms, 
but it maybe quite as profitable to feed their 
wormy apples and use sound ones only for 
cider making.—[E d. 
Peppers. —Take those fresh and green, 
soak in salt and water eight or nine days, 
opening and turning out the seeds, if not 
wanted very hot. Stuff with white cabbage 
and horse radish chopped fine and seasoned 
highly with mustard seed, mace, cinnamon, 
cloves, &c. Sew up carefully, and put in 
cold prepared vinegar. 
©arDcit, ©rcljarlr, Caum, 
ORCHARD APPLES.—THE BEST KINDS. 
[The following article was prepared at our 
special request, by one of the largest fruit¬ 
growers of our country, who has had much 
experience and extensive observation, and 
who is universally acknowledged as good 
authority on this subject. His opinions are 
unusually reliable, if on no other account, 
at least because he is not, we believe, a 
seller of trees, and has no ax]to grind. We 
commend the article to careful perusal, and 
to preservation for future reference.—Ed. 
American Agriculturist.] 
The first question with those who pur¬ 
pose planting out an orchard usually is, 
after the preliminaries of locality, space 
and other arrangements are made, what 
kinds shall I plant 1 This is a compound 
question, subject to several divisions. In 
the first place, the planter should consult 
his market; next, his soil; then, his climate. 
Understanding each of these thoroughly, 
he can then address himself to the varieties 
with an understanding of his business. 
There is still another thing in coming at de¬ 
tails in orchard cultivation which he should 
first learn ; viz., what are the best and most 
successfully cultivated apples in his neigh¬ 
borhood? Apples are disposed to grow 
their varieties in some localities better than 
in others. We have some districts of coun¬ 
try in which excellent varieties have origi¬ 
nated, and where they grow better than in 
almost any other region, the climate and 
soil exactly suiting them in developing their 
finest flavor, size, color, andevery good 
quality. There are other] places where 
these same apples will not succeed at all, or 
but indifferently. Other varieties there are 
which are almost universally applicable in 
climates varying through several degrees of 
latitude and longitude, in different soils and 
elevations. So that, unless one is going to 
establish his orchards in a new and unset¬ 
tled region, he can scarcely be at a loss what 
to plant. As a general rule, we would say, 
if there be a really superior variety growing 
well in your locality, suitable to the market 
in its profitable season, go largely into it, no 
matter what the kind, if a hardy tree, and 
an abundant bearer. 
SUMMER APPLES. 
If you are near a large market, not easily 
overstocked, early varieties are usually the 
most in demand, and at the highest prices. 
Yet early varieties are not usually as good 
bearers as the later kinds, but they sell 
quick, at good prices, and are readily off 
your hmids. Of these kinds, popular and 
profitable, may be named—Early Harvest, 
(tart;) Bough, (sweet;) American Summer 
Pearmain, (sub-acid ;) Kentish Codling, in 
season for cooking from July to October— 
the best tart of any other, and the soonest 
cooked ; Red Astrachan, (sub-acid;) and 
[in New England] William’s Favorite, (sub¬ 
acid.) These kinds are enough. There are 
some other varieties local to certain places, 
that are decidedly good, and when you find 
them, plant largely of such. 
