DEC S 
904 
THE BUBAL MEW-¥©BIEB. 
about 900 tons, while the refrigerating house c 
will accommodate something over 300 tons of t 
grapes, as usually packed in crates or baskets. c 
Its location is on the western limits of High- t 
land village, about one-and a-half mile from t 
the river landing and the West Shore Rail- < 
road station, and it is built near the edge of a < 
pond so small that ice will probably have to 
be cut three times to fill it; but it is expected 1 
that two cuttings will be sufficient to run the 
refrigerator through any season. 
Having visited the establishment and inter¬ 
viewed several of its customers, as well as the l 
superintendent in charge, I find it is confi- ■ 
dently stated that the enterprise is a success, 
so far as regards the preservation of fruits, 
for a few months, and the belief is expressed 
that grapes—even the perishable Concords— 
can be kept till Spring, if properly packed. 
The house has been nearly filled this Fall, and 
the early heavy frost prevented the offering 
of many more. The principal stock has been 
Concord Grapes, although peaches are stored 
to quite a considerable extent, and apples, 
pears, etc., as well as butter and eggs to a lim¬ 
ited extent—merely for experimental pur¬ 
poses. The results in all cases have been sat¬ 
isfactory. With regard to grapes, it is found 
that, where properly packed, they are per¬ 
fectly preserved, and sales are satisfactory. 
By “ properly packed” is meant that the fruit 
should be quite ripe, and that caro should be 
taken to exclude all broken, cracked and un¬ 
ripe berries, while the sound grapes should be 
packed in tills or baskets, about five inches or 
less in depth. Grapes have been stored here 
this season in all possible conditions—ripe and 
unripe, cracked and bruised, rotten and 
frosted, and perhaps it is well that it has been 
so, as growers will know 
from experience that even 
‘‘cold storage” will not 
ripen grapes, or close up 
cracks, or heal bruises, or 
remove rottenaess, but it 
will keep slightly frosted 
grapes in good appearance, 
so that the damage to them 
can be discerned only by 
the taste—which is to be re¬ 
gretted in behalf of consu¬ 
mers. Where mildew or 
rot appears, it may iuvari¬ 
ably be traced to unripe or 
cracked berries or clusters. 
Whether the objection 
heretofore urged against 
chilled grapes — that they 
quickly lose in appearance 
after exposure, and must be 
used immediately—will lie 
against them when kept in 
this way, is not, yet certain¬ 
ly known, and the writer is 
not posted on that branch 
of the subject further than 
to know that they ha veeon- 
tinued to bring satisfactory 
prices, although the market 
lias been slow. Prices have 
been from five to 10 cents 
— the latter exceptional, 
how'ever; six to eight cents 
would probably be a fail 1 
average. 
They would have sold 
for from three to four cents 
when cut. The exjieu.se has 
been about one cent per 
pound. In consequence of 
these favorable results, several growers in this 
section are contemplating similar enterprises, 
on a limited scale, and it is stated that other 
fruit districts are also showing their apprecia¬ 
tion of the system by following in the same 
direction. 
The house is divided into six rooms—three 
above and three below. The lower rooms are 
20 by 40 feet, the upper rooms are of the same 
width, but less in depth. The temperature 
has been kept at 88 degrees, but it is believed 
by some that 34 degrees will be found better; 
and the superintendent states that it can be 
reduced to the freezing point if desired. The 
atmosphere feoms perfectly dry,as matches and 
salt constantly in the room show no signs of 
moisture, and water on the cement floor dries 
up with reasonable quickness. Early in the 
season it required more ice to run it than later, 
when it became more filled up and cooled, and 
cool weather set in. It is now stated that the 
six rooms can be run down to 88 degrees on 
nine tons a week, or one-and-a-half ton per 
week for each room. To keep the temperature 
down to 34 degrees would require more. 
It is not intended to say that this company 
is the originator of “cold storage for fruit,” 
but that it is the first to apply the Ridgway 
system on so large a scale. This system is 
well known throughout the country as applied 
to domestic refrigerators, coolers, meat cars, 
etc. The first operator to any extent in this 
section was Mr. D. J. Donaldson, of Cliuton- 
dale, the “Grape King” of Ulster County, who 
tried it two years ago with suchsuecess as to in¬ 
duce him to enlarge the building last y ea r, so as 
to have room for his whole crop of Concords 
about 100 tons. An early and heavy frost cut 
off 35 tons, so that they were sold for two 
cents or loss per pound. The plan used by 
Mr. D. is different from the Ridgway, and, so 
far as known, operates well. 
Growers here express confidence that cold 
storage will help thorn very materially, as it 
will prolong the season, measurably prevent 
glut, and bring them better prices. The plant¬ 
ing of more Concords is projected for next 
Spring, so that in a few yearn they will 
probably rule at two or three cents per pound. 
Large-acred growers say they can grow them 
for that price if they can get the necessary 
help. This they propose lo get by crowding 
the small growers out of the business. The 
practical solution of this difficulty lies in the 
planting of the better and high-priced fruits 
by the smaller growers, and a more intensive 
system of culture, by which they will get 
double the product and better prices than at 
present, and maintaiu their position as inde¬ 
pendent tillers of the soil. w. d. g . 
Cliutondale, N. Y. 
--+-•-»- 
A GOOD TOBACCO PRESS. 
The labor of packing tobacco depends much 
upon the conveniences at hand for pressing. 
With a good press, the work may be easily 
and rapidly done ; but with the clumsy, ex¬ 
temporized contrivances that are often used, 
it becomes tedious and laborious. The press 
illustrated in Fig 094 has the merit of being 
This press is made so that the scales may set 
upon the platform while the case is being 
packed. Two short pieces of timber, which 
are a little wider than thick, are placed across 
the ends of the platform. These are of such 
dimensions that when placed upon the edge, 
the top is above the platform of the scales, but 
when laid upon the side, it is below it. 1 hus 
the case is supported just above the scales, 
while it is being packed and pressed, and is 
let down upon them, without the necessity of 
lifting the whole case, or without danger of 
injuring the scales. 
The operation of the press will hardly need 
much explanation. The follower is placed 
upon the tobacco, the iron rods lifted to their 
place, and the seam is put iu place, taking care 
that the vertical irons pass through the inside 
link, as shown. The end of the lever is then 
through the outer link, the iron piu at the 
end being placed under one of the hooks. The 
other end of the lever is then pressed down 
until the link drops into the hook next below. 
Two men can operate it more conveniently 
than one. 
The inner link on the beam should be made 
long enough so that it always catches in the 
third hook below the beam, otherwise there 
will not be room to work the lever conve- 
! niently. “elm.” 
ana rapicuy uuuw, mu whu tut? liuluoj , ^ ^ _ 
temporized contrivances that are often used, JERSEY COW MIS1LETOE. 
it becomes tedious and laborious. The press j 
illustrated in Fig 094 has the merit of being _ We append a brief description of the beau- 
entirely efficient, convenient to use, easy to j tiful imported Jersey cow represented in 
Jersey Cow Mistletoe (5857.)— From Life. Fig. 095. 
So far as I know, it is not Fig. 095. She is owned bv Mrs. E. M. Jones, 
jy judgment, it is equal, if of BrockviUe, Outario. Canada, and we give 
nv patented tobacco press below her name and pedigree : 
store, and cheap. So far as I know, it is not 
patented, and in my judgment, it is equal, if 
not superior, to any patented tobacco press 
that l have seen. 
Its construction and the manner in which it 
is used, appear pretty well iu the drawing. 
The beam, which may be made of any strong 
wood, should be about tbrec-aud-a-half by 
five inches, and its length should lie about 18 
inches longer than that of a tobacco case. 
The vertical rods are made of three-quarter 
round iron, welded to a piece of bar iron, one- 
and-a-half inch wide, by one-half inch 
thick. The bottom of the rod is bent and 
welded into an eye about an inch in diameter. 
The links that fit over the beam are of seven- 
sixteenth inch round iron. These should be 
about 10 inches long. The level's are made 
of some strong wood, and are six feet 
long, and three by four inches at tho 
end toward the press, tapering some¬ 
what to tho outer end, where they are 
rounded, for convenience in handling. The 
part that fits into the hooks is a strong piece 
of wrought-iron, with a slot at the end wide 
enough to receive the hooks, with a strong 
pin put iu so as to cross the slot, as indicated 
in the drawing. 
The bottom of the press is a platform, the 
size of a tobacco cuse, with a piece of heavy 
scantling in the center, to the ends of which 
the rods are attached and supported at the 
ends by two bits of plank set up edgewise. I 
a 
Prince of the 
Vulley (83) Jer 
Mlstle- sey Herd Book 
toe (5357) H. C. 
Lmpo’t’d 
Dropped i 
Junes, I 
1377. 
Welcome(lfiO) Jersey H. B. 
H. C. 
Queen of the Valley (7-10) 
J. H. B. H. C. 
Wick (199) Foundation 
Stock. 
I Sea Gull (725) Foundation 
Stock. 
It will be seen that of the six animals given 
in this oedigreo, two are Foundation Stock on 
the Island of Jersey, and three are “ highly 
commended,” a term applied only to indivi¬ 
duals of great excellence. 
In color, Mistletoe is a beautiful golden fawn 
shading darker on bend and legs. Jnshajie, 
she is almost perfection, being broad-hipped, 
deep-bodied, short-legged, and straight-back- 
od. She has an extremely dished face, large, 
full, dark eyes, slender and beautiful horns, 
a skin of great richness and softness, and a 
superb udder and escutcheon, white her limbs 
are as ele"n and line as those of a deer. Add 
to this a fine constitution und an unmually 
gentle and placid disposition, and you can 
form some Idea of this beautiful animal. 
Mistletoe bas been four times exhibited, 
and has been a prize-winner every time, and 
has twice stood in Mrs. Jones’s Prize Medal 
nerd. At Toronto, this Fall, as judged by 
the noted expert, T. S. Cooper, of Pennsyl¬ 
vania, Mistletoe was placed third in the cow 
class, owing to an accidental bruise to her 
udd from lying on a stone in pasture. Mr. 
Cooper did not know, till after his award, 
that the swelling was only temporary, and he 
afterwards stated in his published report that 
he considered Mistletoe the best cow on the 
ground. When we consider tho magnificent 
array of Jerseys shown against her, this com¬ 
pliment can be better apjjreciated, and Mrs. 
Jones was consoled by the fact that iu this 
class her cows carried off the whole three 
prizes, and no other cows were placed, al¬ 
though a splendid tot were shown, including 
three grand imported cows, one of which 
took first prize over all JersBys. At Guelph, 
the swelling on Mistletoe’s udder having dis¬ 
appeared, she stood first, and a test of her 
milk, in one of the creameries exhibited, 
showed four inches of cream on a setting of 11 
inches of milk. 
Mistletoe’s calves toko after her in beauty 
and iu quality. Her yearling heifer was a 
prize-winner last year, and her bull calf this 
year took second prize at Toronto, and first 
prize at the Guelph Show, although not yet 
eight weeks old when shown. 
I - 
SHORT-HORNS IN ENGLAND. 
PROFESSOR J. P. SHELDON. 
It is beginning to bo suspected that the days 
of extremely inflat ed and artificial values for 
pedigree hhurt-horns are 
numlx'red. This may or 
may not turn out to be a 
s| prophetic suspicion; hut in 
any ease, there are nowa¬ 
day- strange fluctuations 
iu prices of the finest tribes, 
which seem to point in t he 
direction of permanently 
f: lower ones in the future. 
This again may or may 
not turn out to have been 
a leading or a misleading 
omen, yet there can be no 
doubt that our more fash¬ 
ionable tribes and herds 
have been worked up to a 
degree of fiscal prominence 
which, to say the least , has 
not been an unmixed bene¬ 
fit to the bovine interests of 
the world. It is a sort of 
open secret that Sliort-horu 
interests in this country u : e 
of so sensitive and delicate 
a character and have so 
many *‘ wheels with in 
wheels” iu the machinery 
which keeps them niuuiug 
along, are bolstered up by 
so many artificial props, 
und sustained in such an 
intricate net-work of fan¬ 
cies and devices, that the 
defection of half-a-dozen of 
the leading men would 
bring about a collapse in 
? which would be involved 
the ruin of a good many 
people where all ani more 
than all is invested in the 
i, matter. 
e I am not one of those who deplore entirely 
this state of things, though I consider the iu- 
j trinsic value of the Short horn has been left 
altogether too far behind, and that, it lias been 
a mistake to admit so much of the speculative 
and gambling element into Short-horn trsns- 
0) actions. It was perhaps inevitable that the 
business should become artificially inflated so 
soon as a number of wealthy men took a fancy 
n for it; but at the same time wemustudmit 
that it lias been much more extensively devel- 
n oped, and been made more attractive, and 
n perhaps more generally successful, than would 
y have been the ease without these men. Due 
j. thing we must remember, viz.: that these 
men would not themselves have taken much 
n especial interest iu it, were ft tot that u large 
e capital was involved. Certain it is, also, that 
the science of animal reproduction cannot be 
pursued to any great length without the aid 
e of iilenty of money. It Is, moreover, true 
a ’ that as the wealth of a country increases, as 
a that of England and America is increasing, 
men will take in hand various fancies, or 
j ( j “hobbies” as some people call them, willde- 
jy vote limited time and almost unlimited money 
m to them, and so run up the busiuess that it 
entirely loses its intrinsic value in one that is 
j governed only by fashion and tho leugth of 
lt j men’s purses. 
al I am led into this train of thought by the 
jy recent sale of the Duke of Devonshire’s Short 
