1894 
THE RURAI NEW-YORKER. 
557 
CAN WE SAFELY PICK APPLES EARLY? 
WILL THEY KEEP IN GOOD CONDITION ? 
Would It be better to pick Malden's Blush and Baldwin apples some 
two weeks earlier than the usual time, store In barrels with air holes, 
and place them in a cool place, to prevent the loss by storms, etc. ? 
Sometimes a heavy storm, a weeii or two prior to picking, leaves very 
few apples on the trees. I wish to make all 1 can out of the crop, as 
the trees are very full, and the apple crop Is short In this neighbor¬ 
hood. The trees were sprayed in the spring, and the fruit Is very nice. 
Morgantown, Pa. __ e. r. 8. 
“Most Careful Handling” Needed. 
Apples may be gathered and kept without wither¬ 
ing at any time after the seeds are colored. Usually 
the fruit colors with the seeds, but sometimes not 
fully. The barrels of fruit should be headed, or other¬ 
wise well covered, to prevent shrinkage, and kept in 
a cool place—the cooler the better. Before sending to 
market, the apples should be reassorted, as there will 
unavoidably be some decay. The most careful han¬ 
dling, from the tree to the car, pays largely in price 
to the seller. t. h. hoskins. 
Influence of the Season on Apples. 
The time of picking must be governed by the loca¬ 
tion and the 'character of the season. Last year, we 
lost many apples by severe winds in August and Sep¬ 
tember ; but they were too green to pick. Ordinarily, 
our winter apples on the hills of northern Connecticut, 
are safe on the trees till the middle of October, im¬ 
proving in color, quality and size, fully compensating 
for the few that are blown off ; while in lighter soils 
there would be few left on the trees at that date. The 
extreme drought of this season, is likely to cause ap¬ 
ples to loosen and drop early, and different varieties 
should be watched and picked -in season. Here 
(August 21) Early Harvest and Red Astrachan are just 
gone. William’s Favorite and S?yeet Bough just ripe. 
Qravenstein and Porter not yet full grown. 
Sec. Connecticut Board of Agriculture, t. s. gold. 
When the Seeds are Black. 
There is no question that apples picked when quite 
green will keep longer than if left hanging later on 
the trees. By being picked early, they will shrivel 
slightly, and this will cause them to keep. But they 
will be injured in flavor by so doing, so t^at, on the 
whole, I have abandoned the practice of picking be¬ 
fore fully ripe. Many people, however, allow apples 
to hang on the trees long after they are ripe, espe¬ 
cially winter apples. Some dealers have the notion 
that apples that so hang will keep longer, but I know 
that this is not the case. As quickly as the seeds are 
entirely black the apples are ripe, and the sooner 
they are picked thereafter and put into a place where 
they will be kept cool at an even temperature, the 
better and longer they will keep. With summer and 
early fall apples, it will pay to go over the trees more 
than once. If the larger and more mature apples are 
picked as soon as ripe, and those less developed are 
allowed to hang on the trees, those left hanging will 
often more than double in size. Especially is this 
true of the Duchess of Oldenburg and the Sweet 
Bough, and largely so of the Maiden’s Blush. The 
larger yield from the trees will more than pay for the 
extra labor, to say nothing about avoiding the risk of 
their being blown off by high winds. 
J. S. WOODWABD. 
The Philosophy of the Matter. 
There is a gain in several ways, and quite an im¬ 
portant gain altogether, from taking pears, plums, 
apples and even peaches, off the tree as soon as they 
have attained full size, and when some of the most 
forward of them part readily at the natural point of 
separation. In most cases, the flavor is improved, as 
there is much less tendency to rot. This is notably 
the case in regard to summer pears, which are so 
liable to become rotten at the core if left on the tree 
until they have the full fine color of maturity. The 
early picking does not reduce this color, but gives it a 
fairer, finer, clearer tint. Although sunlight is neces¬ 
sary to give high color to a fruit it is not needful in 
the last stage, as experience abundantly shows. 
Grapes and cherries are thought to ripen best if left 
on the wood till fully matured, but when grapes are 
bagged, even while the bunches are yet small, the 
color is found quite as full, with improvement in 
delicacy and in bloom. This was the case here when 
we used bags entirely blackened by a coat of printers’ 
ink ; the color of the fruit so darkened all the summer 
through, was perfect. Having some trees of the Wild 
Goose plum near the alley where their ruddy color 
was an overpowering' attraction to marauding boys, 
we gathered them every day as fast as they began to 
color, and found them the handsomer for doing so, 
while the number saved from pilfering hands by 
taking them in so early, was quite an item of profit. 
An important saving is the preservation of the trees 
from injury by the hurried work of the thieves ; and 
it sometimes happens that storms injure both fruit 
and trees after the date when the gathering might 
have been done. One of the largest fruit growers in 
central Pennsylvania had occasion to remove an Ewalt 
apple tree some years ago in September. It was full 
of fruit and hoping to save some, he picked them off 
and sorted them into ventilated barrels, and sheltered 
them from hot sun and dry wind. They proved better 
in appearance and quality than those left on a month 
longer, and kept better. It was a lesson that has 
proved of great value. w. G. w. 
Early Picking This Season. 
Nature always indicates the right time to gather her 
fruits, and in apples that is when the stem of the 
fruit will cleave from the branch where it has grown, 
without breaking. The exceptionally dry season has 
matured all fruits from 10 to 15 days earlier, and 
Maiden’s Blush apples are generally ready for gather¬ 
ing now. The Baldwin has a distinct flavor of 
approaching maturity now, and it can be picked in 
many localities fully two weeks earlier than usual. 
If stems adhere and break, the fruit will not be good, 
but will wilt if picked, for it is not sufficiently 
matured. The best keeping quality is obtained by 
picking apples as early as possible. The finest flavor 
is obtained by allowing them to reach the fullest 
maturity on the tree. In holding apples, put them in 
tight barrels or boxes, and keep in the coolest place 
that can be provided. Ventilation is not wise. The 
entire exclusion of air will give the smallest percent¬ 
age of loss from decay. geo. t. powell. 
THE PROSPECT. 
In the symposium on feeding corn fodder to horses, 
W. W. Latta states that the husking machine makes 
the finest fodder possible. These machines tear, shred 
and crush the stalks all to pieces. Why are they not 
more used ? They are expensive, it is true ; but so 
are binders, thrashers and similar machinery. When 
one farmer hasn’t enough work to afford one alone, 
let him coOperate with his neighbors. Or one might 
buy, and work for others. This is certainly preferable 
to letting the corn stand in the field until half the 
fodder value is bleached out of the stalks, and then 
husking it with cold fingers. 
♦ 
Suppose a man applied to you for a job at carpen¬ 
tering. You question him and look him up, and find 
that he knows all about the different kinds of wood, 
and has a good general idea of mechanics. The chief 
reason for his wanting the job, however, is that he 
needs money and thinks carpentering a good way of 
making a living. You wouldn’t hire him. Your 
money costs too much for you to pay it out with a 
chance of getting so little in the way of return. Ap¬ 
ply the same reasoning to the selection of a teacher 
for a public school. There are too many teachers who 
go into the school room largely because they want to 
earn some money in the easiest way. As for giving a 
return for that money there is no sure thing for the 
district—it’s an experiment and a risk. Is that the 
sort of teacher you hire ? 
A NEW method of robbing the farmer is reported 
from Vermont. Daring the night, the barn of a 
wealthy farmer was burned, and during the excite¬ 
ment attending the fire, several thousand dollars were 
stolen from thfe house, which was left unguarded. 
Now it is remembered that several strangers had been 
about town previous to this occurrence, one of whom 
had interested the farmer in some business venture, 
and he had drawn the money out of the bank for the 
purpose of investing it, but kept it in the house over¬ 
night. A New York farmer lost $3,500 through the 
old well-known shell game. Did you ever notice that 
it is nearly always wealthy farmers who are thus 
robbed ? Cupidity is generally at the bottom of it all. 
The farmer would better stick to his plow and let 
these oily-tongued strangers entirely alone. 
During the World’s Pair, the German Government 
sent Mr. Conradi, director of a German agricultural 
college, to this country for the purpose of studying 
the prospects for future American competition in food 
products. Mr. Conradi has reported that he does not 
think the present large exports of American wheat 
can continue long. He thinks most of our available 
wheat land is already taken up, and that our increas- 
ing population will reduce, year by year, the quantity 
for export. Should Americans begin to substitute rye 
for wheat in any large degree, he thinks the exports 
of that grain would seriously compete with German 
farmers. As to butter and cheese, he thinks the 
former is in such great demand in America, that the 
exports will never increase largely again. With 
cheese, there is bound to be a large increase. As to 
meats, Mr. C. thinks America is far ahead in its pro¬ 
duction of cattle. His conclusion is that the trade in 
meats and live stock is sure to increase largely, as no 
country in the world can produce good meat cheaper 
than the United States. Mr. Conradi praises the 
American agricultural experiment stations very highly, 
and says they are useful in every sense of the word ; 
that the ambition of those connected with them is to 
obtain practical results, while in Germany the great 
aim is to reach scientific conclusions. In Germany, 
the experiment stations are generally in cities. 
« 
It seems to The R. N.-Y. that public sentiment is 
steadily growing in favor of Government control of 
railroads, either partial or complete. But a few years 
ago, the proposition to permit the Government to con¬ 
trol passenger and freight service as it now controls 
the mails, would have been ridiculed by the average 
citizen. Yet when pressed for an argument against it, 
he could find none save the fact that the Government 
had no right to take business away from a private 
citizen or corporation. We shall be pleased to hear 
what such people have to say to the following proposi¬ 
tion-advanced by the Outlook: 
If the mansKers of a railroad are unable so to oondnct It as to pay 
the Interest on Its debt, the community takes possession of the rail¬ 
road through the Instrumentality of a receiver, and conducts the 
business in the Interest of the bondholders. We are Inclined to the 
opinion that there Is quite as much reason for permitting the com- 
munliy to take possession of the railroad and run It In the Interest of 
the public—making due provision for the rights of those who have 
Invested In the road—if the Interests of the public cannot be, or are 
not, adequately protected by the railroad managers. 
The history of American railroads will, we think, 
amply bear out the statement that, if representatives 
of the people instead of interested parties had been 
appointed as railroad receivers, there would be to¬ 
day, better service and fewer railroad kings. 
« 
Still these fraudulent commission merchants I We 
recently received a letter from a creamery in New 
York State, asking about the reliability of a party 
claiming the name of P. Henry Kaufman, and posing 
as a commission merchant in the upper part of the 
city. A letter from him which secured a shipment, 
was inclosed. This was written in a nice, legible 
hand, upon a sheet of paper bearing at its top the 
aristocratic, parted-in-the-middle name above men¬ 
tioned, coupled with the announcement of the fact 
that he was ready to receive fancy butter, eggs, fruits, 
etc., and that sweet butter was a specialty with him. 
This important head was put on with a rubber stamp, 
which, of itself, should have been sufficient to arouse 
suspicion in the mind of any one receiving it. The 
letter mentioned the fact that there was an extra 
demand for sweet butter just then, and that White 
Leghorn eggs were also greatly desired by his cus¬ 
tomers. Incidentally he stated that these special 
articles were bringing prices much above those quoted 
by the general run of dealers. The bait took ; this 
creamery forwarded a consignment of butter; this 
ended the first act. The next was to write to The 
N.-Y. and state the facts. Investigation at the 
given number, revealed, not a fiourishing commission 
business, but a boarding house. Such an individual 
had boarded there, but ha d left about one month pre¬ 
viously, but no one knew where he had gone. Inquiry 
at a nearby grocery disclosed the fact that he was 
known. Had offered some berries there not long 
before, telling the grocer that he had received 
them from some friends in the country, and asking 
him to take them and allow him whatever he con¬ 
sidered them worth. Then he vanished. The ship¬ 
ment of butter has also vanished. We presume other 
shipments have likewise vanished. It’s the same old 
story. The creamery men are poorer by so much but¬ 
ter, but that much richer in experience. It isn’t likely 
that this sharper will try to victimize people under 
this name again, but there are plenty of others. 
Look out for them ! 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Mr. J. M. Ham, WashlnRton Hollow, N. Y., has Borneo! those Dorset 
Horned sheep to sell Bubal readers. 
Have yon for sale a Jersey cow that will answer Mr. W. H. 
Straut's description? See his advertisement. 
The Cockley Milling Co., Lexington, Ohio, have a limited amount of 
their Improved Pool wheat for seed. The hist applications are first 
served. 
The manufacturers of Mann's bone cutter make the point that a 
woman can run it, because It Is so light and easy. A good point, too. 
It’s manufactured by the P. W. Mann Co., Milford, Mass. 
That offer of pot-grown strawberry plants by Rogers Nursery Co., 
Moorestown, N. J., is made, Mr. Regers assures us, only to B. N.-r, 
readers. This special offer has not been made to readers of any [other 
paper. 
We are using one of the Kalamazoo wagons at the home farm, 
and we know that It Is first-class In every respect. We never 
had a wagon that gave better satisfaction. They are made by the 
Kalamazoo Buckboard Co.. Kalamazoo, Mich. 
More and more farmers are grinding their own grain insTead of 
wasting lime caning It to neighboring mills and paying them heavily 
for the work. The Peerless feed grinder is highly recommended for 
home grinding. It Is made by Joliet Strowbrldge Co., Joliet, Ill. 
The Henry Philipps Seed and Implement Co., Toledo, O., are making 
a specialty of Northern grown seeds, and their new crop of Crimson 
clover may be of advantage to Northern farmers who will try Crimson 
Clover this jear. The company will send circulars and prices on 
application. 
Men In middle life and, perhaps, some younger ones who “boiled 
sap” In the old Iron kettle strung up against the side of a huge rock or 
butt of a tree, will he interested In the new devices for evaporating 
The Champion evaporator is an Improvament In evaporating that can 
hardly be appreciated until seen or used. The O. U, Grimm Mfg. Co., 
Hudson, Ohio, Issue a catalogue description of the Cnampion that will 
be sent fres. It is used for evaporating cider, sorghum, and fruit 
jellies as well as maple sap. 
