1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
591 
above ground that a wagon may be backed into them 
when it is desired to remove the potatoes. 
Fig. 184 gives a general idea of their construction 
and interior arrangement, as seen m a simple cross- 
section. Usually, these cellars are without walls of 
masonry, and are provided with a roof made of poles 
covered with a layer of hay or straw upon which are 
6 to 12 inches of earth. A row of chutes arranged 
along each side, served to fill the bins easily from 
the wagon ; these are made of inch lumber, and 
are about one foot square in cross-section, projecting 
six to eight inches above the roof. In the crest of the 
roof, there are, usually, two or more ventilators con¬ 
structed in the manner of the chutes. The entrance 
to the cellar, especially when constructed so as to be 
entered wi'h a wagon, is provided with double doors 
middle of the cellar up through the roof. The floor 
is ot earth. By means of careful attention to venti¬ 
lation, this cellar can be kept to 50 degrees or below 
during September and October, and is frost-proof 
during the winter. The windows are provided with 
close-fitting screens to keep out rats and squirrels. 
This cellar will easily hold 50 tons of grapes in the 
picking trays. The first floor is divided into two rooms, 
the front one being a packing-room 25 feet square, and 
the back room being a storage and shipping depart¬ 
ment, 25 x 35 feet. This packing-room is provided 
with heat, and is lighted by seven large windows. The 
floor above the cellar is double, and made of ll^-inch 
matched pine, with an abundant air space between 
the two layers. This, therefore, protects the cellar 
from sudden fluctuations of temperature. The build- 
SOME OF THE NEWER GRAPES. 
SHALL WE SWALLOW THE SEEDS ? 
As I remember, The R. N.-Y., a year or two ago, 
used some such words as “ tedious” and “nearly dis¬ 
gusting,” when it was telling about taking field notes 
on the behavior of the different fruits and vegetables. 
While I can see that it is sometimes tedious, especially 
when the thermometer shows above 90 degrees in the 
shade, it seems to me that the word “ disgusting ” is 
a rather strong one. Before disgust comes, one should 
wait a day or two for a better feeling to come around 
—or, enter into politics, a realm that disgust never (?) 
enters. I think that I remember, also, of your ad¬ 
vice to separate the seeds from the pulp when eating 
grapes, because of danger from appendicitis. But is 
GRAPE PACKING HOUSE WITH BASEMENT ENTRANCE. Fig. 185 PACKING HOUSE ON A WESTERN NEW YORK GRAPE FARM. Fig. 186. 
separated by a hallway having a length of six or 
eight feet, and has for its object the shutting out of 
the frost from in front. When necessary, potatoes 
are stored in the driveway as well as in the bins, the 
rear of the drive being filled first. f. h. king. 
Wisconsin College of Agriculture. 
Doctoring Peak Blight. —A year ago, I saw a 
remedy for pear blight, in the Orange County Farmer, 
and I tried it on one of my trees that was struck with 
blight. It was to run a sharp knife down from the 
blighted part to the ground, cutting through the 
bark. I did so, and the next day there was a black 
streak down both sides of the cut which can be seen 
yet. The tree is all right and growing finely this 
season. I have treated all my pear trees the same 
this year; cut the body of the tree in two or three 
places, and some of the larger branches 
once. Where I found the bark dead, I 
shaved it off and put wax on, and all are 
doing well. The pear bark is hard, and 
it struck me that it might be a sun- 
scald and the bark wanted relief some 
way. When I was a small boy, I came 
near getting a thrashing for doing the 
same to a stunted cherry tree, but in 
two years, it was the largest tree in 
the row ; then I was told to give the 
other trees some of the same medicine. 
Marlboro, N. Y. j. b. 
PACKING HOUSES FOR FRUIT. 
In the past two issues of The R. N.- 
Y., we have had quite a good deal to say 
about cooling rooms for fruit or dairy 
products. Another very important place 
on the fruit farm is the packing house 
or shed. So important is this matter 
that Prof. L. H. Bailey has recently de¬ 
voted the greater part of a bulletin (No. 
117), of the Cornell University Experi¬ 
ment Station, to a description of the 
types of packing houses used in the 
grape regions of western New York. We give, this 
week, three views of the packing house used by Mr. 
Geo. C. Snow, of Yates County, N. Y., taken from the 
bulletin mentioned above. This house is typical of 
the buildings used in the districts where large crops 
of Catawba grapes are grown and held until winter or 
spring. These packing houses have cellars or cool 
rooms connected with them, wherein the grapes are 
held. The house, shown at Figs. 185 and 186, is thus 
described by Prof, Bailey : 
“ It is built on a sidehill, and the basement or cel¬ 
lar is used for the storage of grapes, the first floor is 
used for packing, and the second floor or attic for the 
storage of baskets, crates and the like. This building 
measures 25 x 60 feet over all. The foundation wails 
are 24 inches thick, and the cellar is provided with 
ample means of ventilation by outside windows, and 
also by means of a chimney which runs from near the 
ing is also shaded, especially from the afternoon sun, 
by large trees. This building can be erected for about 
$1,200. It has 18-foot posts, a tin roof, the two rooms 
in the first floor ceiled with pine, but the top floor not 
ceiled.” 
Speaking of the way in which grapes are kept 
through the winter, Mr. Snow says : 
“ Any good building in which the temperature can 
be held even at about 35 degrees, with ventilation as 
may be required, this to be determined by noting 
how the fruit is keeping, will be found available for 
grapes. No positive rules can be laid down. A cooling 
room, in which the fruit can be first cooled, is a neces¬ 
sity ; if placed directly in cold storage, the tempera¬ 
ture will be found to be raised rapidly by placing a 
quantity of warm fruit in the room. As even a tem¬ 
perature as possible is much the best. Grapes should 
not be packed in baskets for shipping before being 
stored. They should be ripe, as grapes do not ma¬ 
ture after picking. Niagara or any other variety can 
be held only for a limited time, some varieties longer 
than others.” 
Fig. 187 shows a packing table in this house. The 
packers sit at a circular, revolving table, with the 
baskets in their laps, the table being turned as fresh 
fruit is put on it. This whole matter of pack¬ 
ing houses and packing is of great interest to fruit 
growers, and The R. N.-Y. will welcome any discus¬ 
sion or comment on this subject. 
Cooling or cold storage houses are especially needed 
in such localities as the Maryland peninsula. This 
year’s peach crop there was quite abundant, yet prices 
have been very unsatisfactory, because farmers had 
no option but to ship as soon as the fruit was picked. 
it good, practical advice ? How many millions are 
to-day swallowing seeds with the juice and pulp? 
And how many dozens eject the seeds ? For my own 
part, “ I would as lief not be (eating grapes), as live to 
be in awe of such a thing as ” a little grape seed. 
True, I may die of the dreadful disease next week, in 
which case I shall be mounted as an awful example. 
But I cannot, for the life of me, arise to the occasion 
and tremble when the artillery sounds so distant. 
Yet. as I have been taking a few notes in my vine¬ 
yard, I find that there is some reality in the danger 
from seeds after all. In separating the seeds from 
the pulp, to note the number, size and shape, I come 
to, say, a fair Concord. Next an immense, pulpy, 
musky Woodruff ; next a little, sweet Pousrhkeepsie 
that has no pulp, or a regular pig-squealer like Janes¬ 
ville, and so on through the day. Well, 
the stronger I draw on the skin and 
pulp to separate the seeds, and get 
the last flavor, the more acrid the flavor 
is, and by night, my tongue is sore 
enough to give evidence to 40 lies—if 
the old saying about a connection be¬ 
tween lies and a sore tongue is true. 
No ! when I have to separate seeds, I 
am going to quit eating grapes. But 
the usual “exception” comes in. When, 
as with Delaware, Berckmans, Pough¬ 
keepsie, Montefiore, and several of that 
class, or Amber, Elvira, Mo. Ri sling, 
etc., of the rotten wood flavor, the seeds 
separate on crushing the berry, of course 
the seeds are ejected. 
Excelsior (not reliable) is the meatiest 
little grape of which I know, and I 
would eat a great many grapes—seeds, 
skin and all—if it would succeed with 
me. Several of Mr. Munson’s new grapes 
are fruiting with me, mostly for the 
first time, and here we get still another 
class with another flavor. Many of 
his varieties show, on the under part 
of the leaf, the galls of the Phylloxera ; 
but, usually, the growth is thrifty; and in some cases, 
rampant, as with America and Hopkins. Some are 
fine in quality and some not so good. Whether any 
will prove as widely productive as the Concord, is 
a question for the future Many will be more free 
from rot. The bunches are usually more compact 
than are the older varieties, and none, so far as I 
have seen, will class in size of berry with the Rogers’ 
hybrids. 
Herman Jaeger is a continual surprise to me all the 
time I am eating it ; it seems as though ground pulp, 
juice and seeds were all thrown in together into the 
thin, tough skin, and the skin closed again—seeds are 
not swallowed here. There is a little of the Post 
Oak, wild flavor, but, Mr. Rural, I like it, and I will 
propagate for my own eating. My taste here may 
not be correct, but I have marked it “ Best.” Yet it 
has not the pure, rich," sugary flavor of the Dela- 
A CIRCULAR REVOLVING FRUIT PACKING TABLE. Fig. 187. 
