233 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
ervatiou of the grape than any other fruit. I use 
shallow boxes for packing grapes, that the moist¬ 
ure may the more readily escape, and that the 
first layer in the bottom may not be crushed by 
the weight above, 
Charles Campbell. 
Pomona’s Retreat, Aurora, Cayuga Lake, Is Y 
Gil APE CULTURE—NO. X. 
BY WILLIAM CHORLTON. 
The preservation of grapes beyond the usual 
period of ripening is a great desideratum, and de¬ 
serves something more than a passing notice. 
Dryness is indispensable for this purpose. We 
know that imported raisins are grapes, which 
have had the watery portions evaporated by a 
warm, dry atmosphere, leaving the sugary mat¬ 
ter and a part of the aroma. If after the matu¬ 
rity of the fruit, our own climate was as dry and 
warm as that of southern Spain, there would be 
no difficulty in keeping the fruit, for we could let 
the clusters hang on the vines, and gather them 
as wanted. As we have not their natural advan¬ 
tage in this respect, we must imitate their cli¬ 
mate as near as we can. Consequently, no wa¬ 
ter must be used inside the grapery, and a free 
circulation of air be maintained, so as to prevent 
any condensation of moisture upon the fruit. 
During damp or rainy weather the upper ventila¬ 
tors may be partially left open, which will have a 
beneficial influence, preserving the texture of the 
skins, and preventing moldiness. If this is at¬ 
tended to in a house where there is no artificial 
heat, the fruit may be preserved on the vines un¬ 
til a severe frost is apprehended ; and where 
there is a heating apparatus, for some time long¬ 
er, even where the fruit is thoroughly ripe. In the 
retarding house, where the berries are now color¬ 
ing, the bunches of some kinds may be preserved 
until late in March by simply keeping out the 
frost by fire heat, and giving air at all favorable 
opportunities through the Winter ; but without 
fire-heat under glass, we must resort to other 
modes if we desire grapes during Winter. 
There is, however, a great difference in the keep¬ 
ing properties of many of the varieties. For in¬ 
stance, the Frontignans, Muscats , and several of 
the Chasselas, though early sorts, will dry up and 
shrink so much that they become partially rais- 
ined, and in such state will not decay, providing 
they are kept in a dry atmosphere, free from frost 
and suspended upside down, so that the berries 
hang loosely. There are others that have a solid 
texture, approaching that of an apple, as Reine de 
Nice, White Lisbon, &c., which, by having the 
bunches cut into small parts and laid upon a shelf 
in a good fruit room, wrapped with cotton wad¬ 
ding, will keep for several months, while the 
Hamburgs, and other tender-skinned sorts, soon 
decay after they are fully ripe, and no means has 
been devised to keep them for a length of time. 
Grapes, both foreign and domestic varieties, 
may be kept a long time by choosing perfectly 
ripe bunches, and, if large, cut them into small 
parts, removing any decayed berries, and sear the 
end of each stalk where cut, with a red-hot iron, 
exposing them afterwards in a very dry room for 
three hours. Have in readiness some soft tissue 
paper, and wheat bran that has been well dried by 
fire heat. Wrap each small cluster in a piece 
of the paper, place in a glass jar, and fill in be¬ 
tween with a small portion of the bran, and so 
proceed till the jar is filled, each cluster of fruit 
being surrounded and covered with the bran. 
Place a paper over the top, and stretch a piece of 
bladder over this to exclude the air. Let the jars 
be stored In a dry, cool room, where the tempera¬ 
ture is kept at 40° to 45°, and use each jar as 
may be required. Glazed earthenware, or air¬ 
tight boxes, will answer as a substitute where 
glass jars cannot be had, always keeping in a dry 
atmosphere. I may add, in connection with this 
subject, another method. Last April, Mr. Cole, a 
neighbor of mine, brought me a beautiful bunch of 
Isabella grapes,- as fresh and plump as when first 
cut from the vine. This had been kept with oth¬ 
ers in a glazed earthenware jar, which was bu¬ 
ried two and one half feet deep in his garden. 
The flavor was somewhat deteriorated, but the 
experiment is well worth repeating. 
For the American Agriculturist 
HOUSE-KEEPING IN THE 
COUNTRY. 
NUMBER III.-FLIES. 
If I have been presumptuous in supposing that 
on some subjects I can dispense useful informa¬ 
tion to novices, I will confess that there are oth¬ 
er topics on which I would gladly receive it, and 
sit a learner at any one’s feet. 
To one of these my attention has been mnch 
drawn lately, and—it is “ fly time !” I was taught 
at school that flies were of inestimable benefit to 
mankind as scavengers, removing all decomposed 
matter and sources of malaria, far more effectu- 
ally than any other instrumentality. Be it so.. I 
dont’t grudge them the fields and roads, but as for 
the house, I am quite willing to take the contract 
for cleaning that myself. 
Can any one furnish us with sure weapons to 
wage war upon these pests and torments of coun¬ 
try life 1 As for poisons and traps, volumes 
would not contain the history of my campaigns 
and defeats. Fly-stone, most seducingly com¬ 
pounded with molasses, dries untasted in the 
saucer. The old-fashioned tumbler of soap-suds 
surrounded by a ring of bread, vexed our eyes for 
three whole days in the sitting room—it was un¬ 
questionably more successful, for it caused the un¬ 
timely death of six flies, neither more nor less. 
Fly-paper waves like a banner from the kitchen 
mantel-piece, but no slaughtered hosts fall before 
it. Catching flies, I fear, is like catching fish, one 
must have the knack of it. But even if I had, I 
affirm that though I have elsewhere seen great 
numbers destroyed, I never perceived any diminu¬ 
tion of the swarm, and I have sometimes fan¬ 
cied that a dead fly tumbling suddenly from upper 
air is quite as disagreeable an adjunct to a dish 
as a living one sipping and taking flight. 
There are some remedies which I have heard 
of, but have not yet tried. It is a general impres¬ 
sion that fish oil rubbed plentifully on paint and 
furniture will banish them effectually, but the plan 
is open to serious objections. I have also been 
credibly informed that there is a tree which no 
fly can approach—no, not within twenty yards of 
it—but I have not hastened to procure it, partly 
from want of faith and partly from misgivings 
that a plant so obnoxious to the fly creation, 
would hardly be savory to the human. 
Seriously, what are we hapless dwellers in the 
country to do with this plague of the household 1 
Is there no way of destroying them in the egg, 
like the curculio and the caterpillar 1 Does any¬ 
body know of a poison or fly-trap warranted to 
thin them out in a few days 1 
Must we forever spend the loveliest season of 
the year in scouring and scrubbing, fretting and 
fuming about a contemptible insect not a barley¬ 
corn long 1 
I hope much from the experienced housekeep¬ 
ers who read the Agriculturist. For the present, 
I can only continue to keep my house in twilight 
darkness, painfully shutting up the windows after 
the “lords of creation,” who always will let in a 
glare of light. The dishes must still come upon 
the table imprisoned in strong-holds of wire 
gauze, and the African of tender years still wag 
the fly-brush over our perplexed heads. 
No housekeeper, I contend, ever felt any sym¬ 
pathy for Uncle Toby’s much-vaunted sentiment: 
“ There is room enough in the world for thee and 
me.” We are all at issue with him on this very 
point. There is not room enough in the world, 
0 fly ! for thee and me. Between us it shall be 
only war, and that continually. 
Before an answer can arrive, fly-time will be 
over. Let it rest, then, till next March, and ere 
the first blue-fly buzzes in my ear I shall expect 
it. Emily. 
Windholme, Pa., Sept. 8, 1857. 
PICKLING EGGS. 
As our readers well understand by this time, 
we advocate the plan of keeping fowls in such a 
manner that they will produce fresh eggs the year 
round. This they will do in the coldest weather, 
if kept in a warm, clean place, and supplied with 
unfrozen earth, gravel and lime. They must also 
be fed with flesh food to make up for the lack of 
animal food which they gather in warm weather 
in the form of insects of various kinds. Fish, or 
refuse meat of any kind will be devoured greedily 
by them. Milk curd, sour or even sweet milk can 
be substituted for meat, or may be given with it. 
But many persons fail to secure the necessary con¬ 
ditions for an abundant supply of fresh eggs) and 
it is often desirable to pack them not only for fu¬ 
ture home use, but also for transportation to dis¬ 
tant markets. The best recipe we can give is the 
following, which some of our friends have em¬ 
ployed with entire success, their eggs having kept 
perfectly through a whole year or more: Pro¬ 
cure a water-tight firkin, tub, cask or barrel, ac¬ 
cording to the amount to be put down. Pack in 
sound eggs (examined as below) selling them with 
the small end downward. When all the eggs on 
hand at any time are packed, cover them with a 
pickle made by dissolving in four gallons of water, 
two quarts ot unslacked lime and two quarts of 
salt. The water will not. dissolve all the lime, 
hut the pickle should be made two or three 
days before it is wanted, and be frequently 
stirred. The milky liquid is to be poured 
off to be put upon the eggs. The cask must 
be set in a cool place, but not where it will 
freeze in winter. Eggs are now (Sept. 10th,) 
worth 15i®16 cents per dozen in this market, and 
now is a good time to provide for next winter 
when they will cost 3 to 6 cents a piece, judging 
*rom two or three winters past. 
Testing Eggs is a very simple process. Take 
them into a dark or partially darkened room, and 
hold them between the eye and a lighted candle. 
If good the light will shine through them with a 
uniform reddish glow. Every one should use this 
simple test before buying eggs, or breaking them 
for cooking. A dozen can be examined in two 
minutes by the merest novice. 
GLASS NEST EGGS. 
These are a recent ‘ invention,’ which may 
not have been seen by many persons. They are 
made of white glass, and of so nearly the shape 
and appearance of an egg as to deceive not only 
feathered, but sometime unfeathered bipeds. At 
least, we saw a bonneted “ Biddy ” call at an ag¬ 
ricultural warehouse recently, and noticing a lot 
of the glass things, she inquired “ what they 
asked a dozen for eggs 1” These are very con¬ 
venient n&st eggs for cold weather, as thev are 
