THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5S2 
jury and still others that might, be named, it 
is ready to be served on the table. All this 
trouble and risk has been incurred for the sake 
of the momentary effect of the pretty print 
on the table before it is used. The first cut 
made upon it dispels this illusion—the bubble 
bursts. The knife quarters the cow, heads the 
sheaf of wheat, wings the swan or severs the 
lucky leaf of the clover and destroys the iden¬ 
tity of the monogram and the symmetrical 
outlines of the print. Then the whole pound 
or half pound must be consumed at one meal, 
for, with the particular housewife it will 
never do to place the fragment again on the 
table, and thus a full half may become “cook¬ 
ing butter.” 
It seems as if, with a little trouble, produ¬ 
cers, dealers and consumers might be brought 
to a mutual agreement, and adopt a more sen¬ 
sible system for handling choice butter. The 
old-fashioned pound and two-pound roll was 
infinitely better than this print humbug. The 
roll could be formed aud carried and kept 
with greater convenience and far less injury. 
Wrapped in a cloth, and kept in a stone jar 
of pure brine on a cool cellar floor, the fresh¬ 
ness and delicacy of the butter could long be 
preserved, and slices could be cut from the 
roll ef any desired thickness, and neat enough 
in form for any table. (Butter will keep 
much better, no matter what the form of the 
lump, if wrapped in a cloth and submerged in 
cool brine at an even temperature, than in any 
ordinary iced refrigerator frequently open 
and shut and filled with food of various kinds.) 
But there are objections to the roll, and buy¬ 
ers may easily be excused for disliking a shape¬ 
less mass cut from a tub or firkin. Convenient 
family packages should be encouraged, con¬ 
taining from three to to ten pounds, and made 
of stoneware, wood or tin. All considered, 
wood gives the best package. It should be 
of spruce, maple or some tasteless kind, strong 
but light, and of good shape. The round five- 
pound box is becoming popular in the Boston 
market, and can be found more or less else¬ 
where. But the shape is objectionable both in 
transportation and in family use. A better 
form is a square or oblong box with a sliding 
lid. It may cost a fraction of a cent per 
pound more than the round box, but it pos¬ 
sesses many advantages: such boxes need have 
no nails about them, numbers may be handily 
packed for transportation together; the shape 
is good for the retailer and for the buyer to 
carry home, also for homo storage, and from 
it a piece of any size may be cut in a neat, 
rectangular form to place upon the table. Let 
the producers of choice, “gilt-edged” butter 
make an effort to induce their customers to 
adopt such a package. “The proof of the 
pudding is iu the eating,” and it may be for¬ 
cibly argued that butter thus prepared will 
reach the table of the consumer in much bet¬ 
ter condition than if in prints. A little trial 
will convince consumers of this important 
fact. Thus convinced, they will waive the 
single item of looks, in favor of quality, aud 
the producer may be saved all the labor, ex¬ 
pense and risk incident to fancy prints, while 
maintaining the reputation of his product and 
the corresponding price. 
A HINT. 
L. B. ARNOLD. 
There is more merit in the common cows of 
the country than they get credit for. Give 
them the same pampering that the thorough¬ 
breds get, and the thoroughbreds the scanty, 
bare and hard treatment the common stock 
get, and a few generations will suffice to bring 
them both to the same level. The thorough¬ 
breds are what they are from good food and 
good treatment. 
How readily the common cows respond to a 
little more generous supply of food than they 
are accustomed to enjoy, is well illustrated in 
the experience of the present season. Favored 
with an abundance of rain to make flush pas¬ 
turage, the cow r s which depend wholly on 
grazing have been better supplied with, food 
than thej r usually are, and the result is some¬ 
thing like 25 per cent, more butter and cheese 
than they are accustomed to make iu the first 
half of the season. Their products are always 
large when the season is favorable for an 
abundance of grass, but w’hen in the vicissi¬ 
tudes of the weather the heavens are less gen¬ 
erous, and drought makes feed unfortunately 
short, milk and its products dwindle to the 
opposite extreme, and there are loud com¬ 
plaints of the “scrub cows,” and the owners 
begin to look round for better breeds. It is 
a good idea to look for a bettter breed, but it 
will require a pretty sharp lookout to find a 
breed of cows that w ill give full returns from 
half-fare, or do any better than the so called 
“ native ” cows wheu there is a lack of food to 
make milk from. 
When oui dairy friends have such ample 
opportunity for witnessing the difference be¬ 
tween full and scanty rations, why can’t they 
utilize the hint and see to it that their herds 
have full fare all the season whether the heav¬ 
ens smile or frown. A little comparatively 
inexpensive preparation for soiling with green 
food in case pasturage should be scanty, would 
meet any emergency and secure returns so 
generous and uniform that instead of despising 
his cows it would inspire an inclination to 
admiration and gratitude. 
ADVICE TO YOUNG ORCHARDISTS. 
JOHN J. THOMAS. 
To guard those about to commence fruit 
culture against errors to which they are 
liable, a volume might bo written; but there 
are a few points which may be more par¬ 
ticularly and briefly alluded to. First of all, 
novices should begin moderately, with a view 
more to learning the trade than to making 
money on the start. They should do every¬ 
thing thoroughly and in the best manner. 
Prepare well the intended ground for planting 
with deep and clean culture, and see that 
there is a good natural or artificial under¬ 
drainage. Select proved standard varieties, 
not costly novelties. Choose vigorous, young 
trees of moderate size, and look more to good 
and copious roots than to showy tops. Con¬ 
stant and clean cultivation will bring yonug 
trees forward in a satisfactory and healthy 
condition. It is better to add yearly to a col¬ 
lection, as experience points* out, than to 
attempt to do all the planting at once and be 
compelled to change afterwards a large por¬ 
tion of the varieties. These remarks are in¬ 
tended both for market orchards and for 
plantings for home use. 
The young market orchardist would do well 
to pureue a course somewhat like that adopted 
by Napoleon in Egypt, when he and his 
officers were riding on a dark night on the 
broad sea beach when the tide was down. Al l 
at once the water began to rise and to pour in 
upon them, but they could not see which way 
to make their escape from drowning. Napo¬ 
leon, never at a loss, ordered them instantly 
to form themselves into a hollow circle, ’with 
the horses’ heads outward. Then all were 
directed to ride ahead; if the water became 
shallower to keep straight on; if deeper, to 
turn about and follow the rest. This course 
quickly brought them to dry land. In like 
manner, young fruit growers, keeping their 
eyes open, should observe what course is 
briuging them to profits, and what towards 
losses, and lead on in one direction and turn 
about from the other. In other words, they 
should follow the prescription of Quarles for 
acquiring riches, to “ cut short your losses aud 
let your profits rim on.” The orchardist can 
do this only by yearly experiment and obser¬ 
vation, and not by attempting to do a great 
deal at once. 
THE SALOME APPLE. 
For Illustration, see page 551. 
The venerable Charles Downing writes us; 
“This originated on the grounds of Elias C. 
Hathaway, Otfcaw'a, Ill. Fruit rather below 
medium, roundish-conical, slightly angular; 
skiu pale yellow, shaded with pale red, striped 
and splashed with dark red over most of the 
surface, and thickly sprinkled with large and 
small light-yellowish dots—a portion areole; 
stalk short, rather small; cavity quite large > 
deep, a little greenish; calyx closed; basin 
rather small, slightly plaited; flesh whitish- 
yellow, half flue, tender, juicy, mild sutoacM 
slightly aromatic; very good; core rather 
large, January, May. 
The tree is said to be very hardy, healthy, 
vigorous; leaves large, thick and firm; young 
wood very’ dark, hard, aud fine-grained; an 
upright grower, forming a round head with 
age; an early and good bearer annually, but 
more abundantly on alternate years; the fruit 
adheres firmly imtil gathering time. Its tardi¬ 
ness, long-keeping, good quality, uniform size, 
retention of its flavor quite late, even into 
Summer, will no doubt make it valuable for 
the West and Northwest.” Later (June 6,) Mr. 
Downing writes us: “Mr. Hathaway has sent 
me .specimens of it two or three different sea 
sons and I think very’ well of it, especially for 
its late keeping, good quality, etc.” 
Mr. Hathaway writes us in regard to some 
specimens of the Salome he bad sent to the 
Rural Experiment Grouuds:—“The best horti¬ 
culturists of the West have l»een, for many 
years watching the Salome with keen interest, 
and tbo very strong encouragement which J 
have received from them has led me to com¬ 
mence its propagation. Good words have also 
come from such men as Robert Manning, 
Marshall P. Wilder, Charles Downing, and 
many’ other Eastern growers aud experimen¬ 
talists. I desire to say here that Ben Davis, 
Domine, and other apples of those varieties 
that were thought to be perfectly hardy, have 
been badly handled by the past Winter in the 
West. Old trees of these varieties ore dying 
in great numbers in the orchards, and also 
young trees in the nurseries; while not a bud 
or branch on trees of the Salome, either of 
small treas in the nursery, or of large trees in 
the orchard, or even of the old tree, is injured 
in the least.” 
The Salome apples sent to us by’ Mr. Hath¬ 
away were received May 26, in a perfectly 
sound condition. They remind us of the 
Fameuse eaten a month previously. Mr. 
Hathaway remarked in a note that it was only 
fair to say that these specimens had been kept 
in a barrel in an ordinary cellar the same os 
he kept all his apples. Again, Mr. Hathaway- 
sent a specimen to Mr. Downing which Mr. 
Downing sent to us Juno 17. It was eaten 
June 19, and was perfectly sound and plump. 
Mr. Samuel Edwards, of Mendota, La 
Salle Co., Ill., writes that he could not name 
another variety among the very many with 
which he has been familiar during a residence 
in Illinois of over 40 years, tliat he deems its 
equal for the season (May 23) in quality or 
value. 
Mr. O. B. GalushAj of Illinois, writes that 
he has eaten the Salome nipple each year for 
five years as late as June and July, kept open 
in au ordinary cellar, and found it crisp in 
flesh and peculiarly agreeable in flavor. He is 
convinced that its introduction to the North¬ 
west, where it is at home, will prove a great 
blessing. 
Hon. Marshall P. Wilder writes that 
the Salome is a wonderful keeper, juicy for 
the season pleasantly sub-acid, tender-fleshed. 
Ex.-Govkrnou R. W. Furnas, of Nebraska, 
describes it as resembling Rawle’s Genet in 
outer appearance, shape and color, while he 
regards it as greatly superior. He adds: “I 
have never tasted so long a keeper of such 
excellence. ” 
-««» — 
A HOME-MADE FRUIT EVAPORATOR 
The majority of farmers do not live near a 
large fruit evaporator, nor do they grow suffi¬ 
cient fruit so that they can afford to purchase 
one of the smull farm evaporators. They ore 
able therefore to reap no advantages from the 
improved methods of drying fruit. For the 
benefit of this large class of farmers I send a 
sketch, Fig. 603, and description of an 
apparatus which is intended to dry the fruit 
w’ith the surplus heat of the cook-stove, 
lieing arranged so that it may be easily 
swung off from the stove, at will, when 
it is desired to use the latter for other^ 
purposes. It consists of a hollow sheet-iron 
box open at the bottom, two feet square 
and two-and-a-half feet high. The front side 
of the box is a door, made the full size, that is, 
2x2% feet. Within twelve trays for holding 
the fruit are supported by small sheet-iron 
brackets riveted to the sides. The trays are 
formed of No. 5 mesh galvanized wire-cloth, 
tacked to light wood frames 22% inches long, 
by 22 inches wide. The w idth is made about 
two inches less than the length, so thut when 
filled with green fruit, the trays cannot form 
a total obstruction to the currents of warm 
air through the ovajmrator. The pieces of 
wood composing the frames, were soaked in a 
saturated solution of alum, which renders 
them, for this purpose, practically incombus¬ 
tible. As the top of the evaporator is nearly 
three feet above the stove, it is made of wood. 
At the bottom, the sides and back are riveted 
to a frame of threo-fourth of an inch band- 
iron. 
In Fig. 603, which is a perspective view, the 
apparatus is represented as swung half way 
off from the stove, to show the manner 
which it is hung, and the arrangement of the 
pipes. The standard A. is of three-fourth 
inch gas-pipe. The upper end of this is held 
in place by screwing to the ceiling a board 
containing an augur-liole to receive the end of 
the standard. The lower end may be attached 
to the stove by drilling a hole through the 
plate of the latter, aud screwing in a half¬ 
inch “ nipple” over which the end of the stan¬ 
dard will fit; or, if this is not desirable, a cast¬ 
ing may lie made, as shown in Fig. 604, which 
is intended to slip over the neck of the stove, 
being tightened by the set-screw: the end of 
the standard to enter the hole at B. The 
lower hinge, shown at B. Fig. 603, or separ¬ 
ately iu Fig 605, is a cast-iron bracket, having 
holes at one end to receive the standard, and 
a cross-bar at the other containing a groove 
into w hich the lower edge of the back of the 
evaporator sets. The length, from the center 
of the holes to the center of the groove, should 
be four inches; the length of the cross-bar, six 
inches, and the hight of the bracket, measured 
through the holes, should be three or four 
inches, according to whether the standard is 
attached to the stove with, or without, the 
casting shown at Fig. 004. 
The upper hinge, shown at Fig. 606, is a 
simple casting w’liich is screwed to the top of 
the evaporator. The arrangement of the 
pipes that form the passage for the hot air 
Fig. 604. Fig. 605. 
from the evaporator to the stove pipe, will 
need little explanation except to say that the 
standard passes through the center of the ver¬ 
tical portion, as indicated by the dotted lines, 
so that a swivel joint is formed where the el¬ 
bows fit together at C. I use a seven-inch 
pipe above the connection with the evapora¬ 
tor, to accommodate the current of air from 
it. I place the lower tray three inches above 
the bottom of the evaporator, which brings it 
about seven inches above the stove. But I 
found that with a hot fire there is danger of 
the fruit being scorched, unless a piece of per 
forated tin, as shown at Fig. 607, is attached 
across the bottom of the evaporator, over the 
hotter part of the stove. It is supported by 
means of the hooks w’hioh are attached to the 
iron frame that passes around the bottom. It is 
one foot wide, and two feet long, and the 
holes are half an inch in diameter. It is only 
needed when the fire is hot and the evapora¬ 
tor is swung over the stove. It is best to re¬ 
move it at other times. 
The trays will hold the slices from two bush¬ 
els of green apples, and n corresponding 
quantity of other fruit. Filled in the evening 
—w hich is usually the most convenient time 
Fig. 606. Fig. 607. 
to do it—leaving a slow fire in the stove, the 
fruit is abundantly dry before the next night, 
even though the evaporator is swung off 
from the stove the greater part of the day. 
The fruit dries rapidly, even when it is not 
over the stove, as a current of warm air is 
constantly rising through it. In bleaching 
apples and other fruits that are improved by 
bleaching, a little sulphur is placed on the 
top of the stove beneath the evaporator. 
The fumes rise upward through, and between 
the trays of fruit, bleaching the fruit com¬ 
pletely when the slices are not laid too thickly. 
The odors of the sulphur, and also of the dry¬ 
ing apples, all pass through the pipe into the 
chimney. 
This evaporator filled twice with green 
fruit, will furnish dried fruit enough to sup¬ 
ply an ordinary family for a year. It is 
easy to compute what au industrious family 
that choose to employ their evenings in Fall 
aud Winter, iu the good, old-titue way of cut¬ 
ting apples, can do with this machine. Oper¬ 
ated at half its capacity for three months of the 
year, it would dry the entire surplus of unmer¬ 
chantable apples furnished in an ordinary sea¬ 
son by the average farmer’s orchard. This cal 
dilation is based on what I have actually done 
with it. So far os I can learn, no part of it 
is patented. It can bo made for ten dollars, 
or loss. It could not be used on a cook-stove 
having au elevated shelf about the pipe, or 
an elevated reservoir. It might, however, be 
arranged to slide off from such a stove, by 
suspending it upon pulleys, which could roll 
on a horizontal iron rod suspended from the 
ceiling. In the drawing it is represented 
as being placed over a range, but by hanging 
it a little to one side of the center, it may In' 
used on a four-hole cook stove as well. 
I hope I have made the explanation suffi¬ 
ciently plain, so that an intelligent tin-smith 
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