St. Johnsbury Caledonian

Barrelling Apples.

Nothing is gained by the frauds that are attempted to be practised in the popular way of barrelling apples--nice, fair ones at each end of the barrel, and knotty and small and indifferent ones in the middle. It has been practised so long that no one expects anything else. But if some one would put up honest barrels of apples, by sorting and carefully selecting, in a few years, by branding, any fruit-grower could establish such a reputation that his apples would command double price. The present way has become too thin a fraud to be longer practised by any good man. The right way is to carefully sort those uniform in size and quality, and place in clean, new barrels carefully by hand; begin packing by placing a tier of apples with their ends to the closed head of the barrel, then fill up without bruising the fruit; shake down thoroughly, and fill the barrel so full that the head must be pressed in with a lever, flattening the last tier of apples. The fruit must be pressed so firmly that it will not move in handling. After heading up, place the barrel in some cool, shaded position, there to remain until in danger of freezing; finally remove to a dry cellar or fruit room, where a temperature just above freezing is maintained. Packed in this manner apples will keep soundly until the season of ripening arrives, when they should be consumed.--Iowa State Register.