1287. _To keep Grapes._--Gather the grapes in the afternoon of a dry day, before they are perfectly ripe. Have ready a clean dry barrel and wheat bran. Proceed then with alternate layers of bran and grapes, till the barrel is full, taking care that the grapes do not touch each other, and to let the last layer be of bran; then close the barrel, so that the air may not be able to penetrate, which is an essential point. Grapes, thus packed, will keep nine or even twelve months. To restore them to their freshness, cut the end of the stalk of each bunch of grapes, and put that of white grapes into white wine, and that of the black grapes into red wine, as you would put flowers into water, to revive or keep them fresh. 1288. _To keep Oranges and Lemons._--Take small sand and make it very dry; after it is cold, put a quantity of it into a clean vessel; then take your oranges, and set a laying of them in the same, the stalk-end downwards, so that they do not touch each other, and strew in some of the sand, as much as will cover them two inches deep; then set your vessel in a cold place, and you will find your fruit in high preservation at the end of several months. 1289. _Another Method._--Freeze the oranges, and keep them in an ice-house. When to be used, put them into a vessel of cold water till they are thawed. By this means they may be had in perfection at any season of the year. 1290. _Keeping Apples._--Apples should be placed on a dry floor three weeks before they are packed away in barrels. They should be kept in a cool place; if inclosed in a water-tight cask, they may be kept all winter in a loft or garret without further care, and will come out sound and fresh in the spring. 1291. _To keep Onions._--Onions should be kept very dry, and never carried into the cellar except in severe weather, when there is danger of their freezing. By no means let them be in the cellar after March; they will sprout and spoil. 1292. _A good way of cooking onions._--It is a good plan to boil onions in milk and water; it diminishes the strong taste of that vegetable. It is an excellent way of serving up onions, to chop them after they are boiled, and put them in a stewpan, with a little milk, butter, salt, and pepper, and let them stew about fifteen minutes. This gives them a fine flavor, and they can be served up very hot. 1293. _To keep Parsnips._--Parsnips should be kept down cellar, covered up in sand, entirely excluded from the air. They are good only in the Spring. 1294. _To keep Cabbages._--Cabbages put into a hole in the ground will keep well during the winter, and be hard, fresh, and sweet in the Spring. Many farmers keep potatoes in the same way. 1295. _To keep Potatoes._--The cellar is the best place for them, because they are injured by wilting; but sprout them carefully, if you want to keep them. They never sprout but three times; therefore, after you have sprouted them three times, they will trouble you no more.