Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1909 — About Preserving Fruit. [ARTICLE]

About Preserving Fruit.

To use a cheap grade of sugar Is about the worst economy one can aim at. Test the granulated sugar by boiling a little in water. If a muddy scum or purple hubbies appear at the top, do not use it, for It is not pure. Never use partly decayed fruit. It is a loss to buy this kind, even though cheaper than good fruit. It is equal In poisonous matter to tainted meat and just as injurious. A spoiled berry may be the means of fermentation In your panned berries. It is not a pleasant task if the kitchen is turned upside down for days, as is often the case, and the canning process goes on when everyone is tired of the' work. Preserve fruits when you can get the best, but do not attempt to prepare the whole bolt at once. Better have one dozen cans of peaches of tbe best variety in the best jars than two dozen jars of questionable preserves. The work is greatly lessened by having proper articles with which to do the work. Never, if .you can prevent it, make preserves in a k<*ttel that is noted for scorching, because of the burned-off porcelain in the bottom. A kettle that bums once is like the horse that runs off once, both will do it again when least expected. Get the proper utensils for the work, and they will consist of a ten-quart preserving kettle, sharp paring knife, a long-handled wooden spoon, skimmer and ladle and glass or granite fruit funnel. Always have a small pair of scales, for some recipes call for so much sugar to the pound, and )t is best to carefully follow these recipes as they are given. In paring quinces you can save injury to the forefinger by lapping it with muslin, so the knife will not rub or bruise the flesh. A woman noted for making clear jellies, stated that she made her best Jelly on clear days and had her worst luck on cloudy days. The forcing of wheat and other crops by electricity has been carried on at Bevington, Eng., for three years, under the direction of a son of Sir Oliver Lodge. A plot of 19% acres is covered by a network formed of a number of lines of stout telegraph wire with thin galvanized iron cross wires, the whole supported on 22 larch poles 15 feet high, and a two horse-power oil engine drives a dynamo generating current that Is transformed to about 100,000 volts,'and is connected by the negative pole to earth and by the post tive to the overhead wires. A specimen crop is 35 % bushels an acre of Canadian wheat from the electrified area and only 25% from neighboring land—an increased yield of 40 per cont from the new method.