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Show PERNS A GOOD PRE8ERYATIVB. ' Best Material In Which FoitfatufU Can Be Packed. Fern leaves excel all other agents for paoklng articles of food, according to Consul General Guenther at FTank-fort. FTank-fort. He has forwarded an article to the state department, of which the following is a summary: "Ppnnlrt who have lived in England know that the English have used forn leaves successfully for many years. Valuable fruit, fresh butter, etc., are no longer Been in the English markets packed In grape-vine leaves, but almost al-most always In fresh fern leaves, which keep the articles excellently. "This is done where grape-vine leaves are to be had In abundance. Every one posted well In botany knows the high preservative power of fern leaves with reference to vegetable vegeta-ble and animal substances. "On the Isle, of Man herrings are packed in ferns and arrive on tho market in as fresh a condition as when they were shipped. Potatoes packed in ferns keep many months longer than others packed only In straw. "Experiments made with both straw and fern leavoB in the samo cellar showed surprising results lu favor of ferns. While the potatoes packed In straw mostly showed signs of rotting In tho spring, those in ferns were as fresh as If they had Just been dug. vresh meat 1b also well preserved by fern leaves. "It would seem as if the preservative preserva-tive qualities of fern leaves are due to their high percentage of salt. No larvae, maggots, etc., approach ferns, ac the strong odor keeps them away." |