Elliott's fruit book

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Preface

Few objects are more engaging than the culture of fruit. Hope, with all her pleasing fancies, encircles every planter of a fruit tree ; while year after year, as it is nurtured and advanced to a bearing state, Hope yet remains entwined with prospective reality ; until at last its branches, loaded with ripe, ruddy, delicious fruits, bear out the goddess in sustaining the efforts of man to gratification of taste and feeling, as well as profit pecuniary.

Fortunate is it for the author of a work on fruits in this practical age, that no excuse is required for presenting himself before the public, or crowding upon ground apparently now so fully occupied.

Hazardous as the thought may appear, after so much of matter upon the subject has been prepared and published, minutely, practically, and theoretically explanatory, by such writers as Coxe, Lindley, Downing, Thomas, and others, I yet have imagined there was room for another work • at least it may induce an extended interest in the subject ; and in a country so broad of extent — so prolific of fruits and men — composed of such great diversity of soil and climate as ours, there may possibly be garnered some little items that heretofore have escaped the vision of my brother lovers of the subject.

Pleasantly, therefore, during the past ten years, have I been nurturing of trees and noting their products ; gradually have I drawn in from the stores of my many friends, the votaries of Pomona, specimens of their skill and trust. These I have carefully examined and compared, and have meted to them in the following pages such award as seemed to me just.

VI PREFACE.

That I have trodden upon the favorites, and therefore the views of some of my friends, I shall not pretend to deny ; but that I have so done in aught but a true feeling of interest to the cause, I beg they will not for the moment believe.

Such is the vast variety of garden and orchard fruit — such the diversity of circumstances which affect the growth of trees, the size and qualities of the fruit — such the great number of new sorts, and new modes of treatment discovered, that one book, however carefully prepared, cannot embrace all the knowledge of the subject ; but each lover of Pomona and her gifts must cherish and examine, each for himself, relying only on the book as a guide comparative ; and looking on the pages of this present, as the result of an intention to create a plain, practical work, to classify and describe fruits in such order, to embody their history, and the best modes of culture, in such manner, that the amateur or extensive orchardist may gather at a glance most of the requisite information to success

The mere test of quality, it is well known, does not render a fruit worthy or unworthy of general cultivation ; therefore, the classification of the National Pomological Society was imperfect as a guide to fruit-growers ; but by changing or modifying this to first, second, and third class, and explaining in many of the texts descriptive of varieties, the reasons for position given, I trust to have somewhat improved the matter.

New fruits are daily being brought to light ; the soils of the West producing them almost spontaneously ; the science of the East creating them with rapidity and certainty ; pomological meetings and Horticultural Societies are monthly recording and describing them ; it is, therefore, generally conceded requisite that some order of classification be carried out, if we expect any limit or bounds to our cause.

The classes adopted in the following pages, corresponding with those of the National Society, have therefore seemed to me well adapted to the end in view. There are some varieties now placed in the second class, that will undoubtedly, when more generally known and distributed, become worthy a place in the first class ; but those now placed in the third class, I feel confident will never

PREFACE. Vii

advance from their present position, if their friends have reasonable opportunities of comparing them with first-class varieties ripening at the same time. That the number of the first class could now readily be increased, will, I am aware, appear apparent to many pomologists ; but, as it already embraces a sufficient number to meet all wants, I have preferred rather to add hereafter, than to retract.

Believing that in fruits, the seeds, cores, and stones are often as, or perhaps more, sure guides to indicate a variety than the outward form, I have made my drawings from specimens of medium size, (discarding both the largest as well as smallest for such purpose,)* representing the appearance of the fruit when halved, except in the cherry, where the pit is shown whole. In my drawings illustrative of form, I have followed the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

" Of the descriptions of fruit, some explanation may be necessary. First, is given the standard name in capitals. Below this are placed, in smaller type, the various synonymes, or local names, by which the same fruit is known in various countries or parts of the country."

The names of authors previously having described many of the fruits, I have omitted, as not essential to the value of description or fruit, nor necessary to the practical purposes for which I intend the work.

The text descriptive has been, in almost the entire work, made either anew or revised from those already published, with specimens of the fruit before me ; and, following the established rules of priority in description, I have (while retaining so much of the original that it may at once be recognized ) endeavored to reduce and Americanize. In a few cases I have preferred continuing an erroneous name, because of its being now generally known. Where a description is given written by another, and the fruit not seen by myself, I have endeavored to give, if of importance, the initials of the author, or abbreviation of title of the work from whence such description was drawn, for which see pages 13, 14.

Of the importance of fruit culture, it is deemed superfluous to

* A friend who lias carefully examined these drawings and descriptions, says I have represented them all, or nearly all, rather below, than of, medium size.

Vlll PREFACE.

more than remark, that the interest evident in the establishment of journals devoted almost wholly to its cause ; the fact that no newspaper is now counted of value without being more or less occupied with matter relating to the orchard ; the universal growing desire of every one who has ground of his own to plant thereon trees and vines productive of luscious fruits — all speak volumes illustrative of the extent which the subject holds in the minds of our energetic, ambitious, persevering people.

And here I must be permitted to record my tribute to the memory of A. J. Downing, to whom the pomologists, the fruit-growers, the nation, owe more than to any one man yet existent ; by and through whose work on the " Fruits of America," the advocates of nomenclature received the first bold stand, and in a way which has led to extrication of much that was previously in state of confusion ; to whose graceful, easy, attractive, yet bold manner of writing, is owing much of the care and attention, culture and embellishment, of and through tree, plant, and flower, of the homes of Americans.

This work has been commenced and completed more at the suggestion and request of friends than from any feeling of my own ability ; and, while I have endeavored to avoid error, I yet feel that numerous corrections will have, in subsequent editions, to be made ; this, partly, from omission and commission, consequent on one's first work, and partly from the constant state of advancement in pomology. And as it is intended to revise and correct it as soon as the cause demands, I shall consider myself, and the cause, indebted to those gentlemen who in reviewing it may observe errors, if they will communicate the same to me.

To the following gentlemen, who have kindly furnished me with notes, descriptive of their experience, or of varieties or specimens of fruits, by which I have the better been enabled to prepare this work, I sincerely tender my acknowledgments :

In Massachusetts, to Messrs. M. P. Wilder and C. M. Hovey, Boston ; Samuel Walker, Roxbury ; B. V. French, Braintree ; Robert Manning and J. M. Ives, Salem.

In New York, to Messrs. Chas. Downing, Newburg ; S. B. Parsons, Flushing; P. Barry and Geo. Ellwanger, Rochester; John J.

PKEFACE. ix

Thomas, Macedon; David Thomas, Aurora; Benj. Hodge, Buffalo; Herman Wendell and B. P. Johnson, Albany.

In Pennsylvania, to Doctor W. D. Brinckle, Philadelphia.

In New Jersey, to Mr. Thomas Hancock, Burlington.

In Ohio, to Geo. Hoadley, Esq., and Professor J. P. Kirtland, Cleveland ; Messrs. A. H. Ernst, J. A. Warder, and R. Buchanan, Cincinnati ; M. B. Bateham, Columbus ; Charles Carpenter, Kelly Island ; D. C. Richmond, Sandusky.

In Michigan, to Daniel Cook, Esq., Jackson.

In Indiana, to Mr. John C. Teas, Raysville.

In Kentucky, to Messrs. H. P. Byram, Louisville ; James Allen, Nelson Co.

Doctor J. A. Kennicott, The Grove, Northfield ; Adna Williams, Galesbury.

In Wisconsin, to Mr. F. K. Phoenix, Racine.

In Mississippi, to Doctor M. W. Phillips, Log Hall.

F. R. E.

Pomona Gardens, near Cleveland.

ABBREVIATIONS AND BOOKS QUOTED.

Of these we enumerate here those only that we have used most freely in the forming of our pages, either "by extract,, or as serving for authority to our decisions.

Allen. A practical Treatise on the Culture and Treatment of the Grape Vine.

By J. Fisk Allen. 1852.

Arboretum Britannicum, or the Trees and Shrubs of Britain, pictorially and

botanically delineated, and scientifically and popularly described, by J.

C. Loudon. London, 1845.

Annates de la Societl d' Horticulture de Paris. Paris. In monthly Nos. 8vo.,

from 1827 to 1845.

Adlum. A Memoir on the cultivation of the Vine in America, and the best

mode of making Wine. By John Adlum. Washington, 1828. Buchanan. A treatise on the Grape. By R. Buchanan. Cincinnati, 1852. Bon Jard. Le Bon Jardinier, pour l'Annee 1844. Contenant des principes

generaux de culture, etc. Par A. Poiteau et M. Vilmorin. Paris.

Yearly volume.

Bridgeman. The Young Gardener's Assistant. By Thomas Bridgeman. Tenth

ed. New York, 1844.

Cole. American Fruit Book. By S. W. Cole, 1851. Coxe. A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Frees in the United States, and of

the Management of Orchards and Cider. By William Coxe. Philadelphia, 1817.

Chaptal. Chemistry applied to Agriculture. By John Anthony Chaptal,

American ed. Boston, 1835.

Cobbett. The American Gardener. By Wm. Cobbett. London, 1821. Coleman. Reports on the Agriculture of Massachusetts. By Henry Coleman.

Boston, 1840-41.

Cultivator. The Cultivator, a monthly journal of Agriculture, &c„ edited by

Luther Tucker. Albany, continued to the present time. Downing. Downing's Fruit and Fruit Trees of America. 1845. JDom. Gard. The Domestic Gardener's Manual. By John Towers. London,

12 ABBREVIATIONS, ETC.

Duhamel. Traite des Arbres Fruitiers, par M. Duhamel Dumonceau. Paris,

1768, 2 vols.

Dec. Physiologic Vegetale, ou Exposition des Forces et des Fonctions vitales des Vegetaux. Par A. P. De Candolle. Paris, 1832, 3 vols.

Ernst Mans. Manuscript Notes on Fruits. By A. H. Ernst, Esq., Cincinnati.

Forsyth. A Treatise on the Culture and Management of Fruit Trees. By

William Forsyth, 7th ed. London, 1824.

Floy. Lindley's Guide to the Orchard. American ed., with additions by

Michael Floy. New York, 1845.

Fessenden. New American Gardener, containing practical directions for the culture of Fruits and Vegetables. By Thos. E. Fessenden. Boston, 1828. Gard. Mag. The Gardener's Magazine, conducted by J. C. Loudon, in monthly

nos., 19 vols, to 1844, London.

Sort. The Horticulturist, a monthly journal of Horticulture, &c. Published by Luther Tucker, and edited by A. J. Downing, from 1846 to 1852, and continued to the present time. By Jas. Wick, jr., publisher, and P. Barrey, ed.

Hoare. A Practical Treatise on the cultivation of the Grape Vine on open

walls. By Clement Hoare. London, 1840.

Hort. Soc. Cat. See Thompson.

Harris. A Report on the insects of Massachusetts injurious to Vegetation.

By Dr. T. W. Harris. Cambridge, 1852.

Hov. Mag. or H. M. The Magazine of Horticulture, Botany, and Rural Affairs. Conducted by C. M. Hovey. Boston, 8vo. monthly nos., 1834 to the present time.

Johnston. Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry and Geology. By Jas. W. F.

Johnston. American ed., New York, 2 vols. 1842. Jard. Fruit. Le Jardin Fruitier, par Louis Noisette. 2 ed. Paris, 1839, 2

vols.

Knight. Various articles in the London Horticultural Society's Transactions.

By Thomas Andrew Knight, its late President.

Kenrick or Ken. The new American Orchardist. By William Kenrick, Boston, 1844.

Kollar. A Treatise on Insects injurious to Gardeners, Foresters, and Farmers.

By Vincent Kollar ; notes by Westwood. London, 1840, 12mo. Loudon. An Encyclopedia of Gardening. By J. C. Loudon. London, 1835, 1 thick vol.

An Encyclopedia of Plants. By the same. London, 1836, 1 thick voL

. An Encyclopedia of Agriculture, By the same. London, 1831, 1

thick vol.

ABBREVIATIONS, ETC. 13

Loudon. Hortus Britannicus. A Catalogue of all the plants in Britain, by the same. London.

. The Suburban Horticulturist. By the same. London, 1842.

• . The Suburban Gardener and Villa Companion. By the same. London, 1838, 1842.

. Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum. By the same. London, 1838.

Liebig. Organic Chemistry in its application to Agriculture and Physiology.

By Justus Liebig. American ed., Cambridge, 1844. Lind. A Guide to the Orchard and Kitchen Garden, or an account of the Fruits and Vegetables cultivated in Great Britain. By George Lindley. London, 1831.

Lindley. An Introduction to Botany. By John Lindley. London, 1832.

. An introduction to the Natural System of Botany. By John Lindley.

London, 1835, 2d ed.

. British Fruits. See Pomological Magazine ; it is the same work.

. The Theory of Horticulture, or an attempt to explain the Operation

of Gardening upon Physiological Principles. By John Lindley. London, 1840.

. The same work, with Notes by A. Gray and A. J. Downing. New

York, 1841.

L. or Linnceus. Species Plantarum, 5th ed. Berlin, 1810, 5 vols. Mass. Hort. Society. .Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

1842 to the present time.

Man. The New England Fruit Book. By R. Manning, 2d ed. enlarged by

John M. Ives, Salem, 1844.

Man. in H. M. Manning's articles in Hovey's Magazine. Michaux. The North American Sylva, or Descriptions of the Forest Trees of the United States, Canada, &c. By A. F. Michaux. Paris, new edition, Philadelphia, 1852.

M'Intosh. The Orchard and Fruit Garden. By Charles M'Intosh. London,

1819.

N. Y. Trans. Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society,

from 1842 to present time.

Nois. See Jardin Fruitier.

New England Farmer. A weekly periodical, devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, &c. Boston, continued to the present time.

0. Duh. See Duhamel.

* Pom. Mag. or P. M. The Pomological Magazine, or Figures and Descriptions

of the most important varieties of Fruit cultivated in Great Britain.

London, 1828.

Pom. Man. The Pomological Manual. By William R. Prince. New York,

14 ABBREVIATIONS, ETC.

Prince. A Treatise on the Vine. By William R. Prince. New York, 1830.

Prince. A short Treatise on Horticulture. By William Prince. New York, 1828.

Poit. or Poiteau. Pomologie Franchise. Recueil des plus beaux Fruits, cultives en France. Par Poiteau. Paris, 1838, and continued in 4to nos.

divers. A Descriptive Catalogue of Pears, cultivated by T. Rivers. Sawbridgeworth.

Hon. or Ronalds. Pyrus Malus Brentfordienses ; or. a concise description of Selected Apples, with a figure of each sort By Hugh Ronalds, London, 1831.

Torrey & Gray. A Flora of North America, containing abridged descriptions of all the known plants growing North of the Gulf of Mexico. By John Torrey, M. D., and Asa Gray, M. D., New York.

Thomp. A Catalogue of the Fruits Cultivated in the Garden of the Horticultural Society of London. 3d ed., London, 1845. [Prepared with great care by Robert Thompson, the head of the Fruit Department.]

Thacher. The American Orchardist. By James Thacher, M. D., Boston, 1822.

Wilder, MSS. Manuscript Notes on Fruits. By M. P. Wilder, Esq.

W. D. B. Doct. W. D. Brinckle, in ad interim Reports of Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

W. R. P. Articles and Descriptions by Wm. R. Prince, in various Horticultural Journals.

Warder Review. Western Horticultural Review. J. A. Warder, editor and publisher. A Monthly Journal of Horticulture, etc. Cincinnati, 1850, to the present time.

Wilder in Hort. Articles and Descriptions written by Hon. M. P. Wilder, and published in Horticulturist.

Chapter I

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS — HISTORY AND ADVANCEMENT OF FRUITS IN OHIO AND THE WEST— VALUE AS FOOD.

A subject so boundless, in a country of such extent and capacity of soil and climate as ours for the production of all the finer fruits ; in a country which, until within a few years, was but a wilderness — a wild, uncultivated-tract, now yielding, with the most common, or rather with no care, immense quantities of luscious ripe fruits for transportation to countries where the arts of culture were fully known and understood before we were, filling our store-houses with food, our hearts with gladness, adding to our wealth while contributing to the blessings of others ; (for what meets the eye or gladdens the heart more pleasantly than the sight of the perfect fruits of the earth 1 ?) — a subject, we say, then so boundless, merits more of enwreathing plaudit than our limits here may allow, though our fancy picture it. Nor have we space, although especially applicable to the practical use of our work, to more than commend the study and practice, in a scientific view, of man to perfection of that depicted in the following stanza :

Shall wreath the earth with flowers, While new and luscious fruits shall grow Throughout her Eden howers." ■ ■ As yet the western soils present comparatively little toward the inducement of study and practice ; for so freely does every variety of fruit grow, that man has only to plant in order to reap. Soon, however, the grower will learn that skill and care only will reward him with product from his trees — skill, in the thorough understanding of the principles of vegetable physiology ; the care and practice, necessary in applying the same.

Rapidly as the West has grown from a tract of country only inhabited by the red man and beasts, to the presenting almost, at this day, of the " Garden of America ;" her prairies, her limestonehills and broad levels ; her sandy alluvial bottoms, located in almost as many different climates as positions, abound with all of nature's food, stored for years in the production of tree, fruit, and flower, to

16 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

such extent that she may yet be said to be in her infancy. And no one who has not visited and traversed her wide borders — no one reared and trained on soils where four-sixths is rock — can have, but by traveling over it, any conception of the wealth stored up in the soil of the West.

We speak here more of this from believing, that while the East may yield her supplies liberally, attended by the care and expense of supplying fresh food annually, the West will ere long far outstrip all ; as she only needs among her sons more study of the nature of plant and tree to bear the palm in producing any fruit.

It is for the West then, more especially, that our work is destined. Although ourself, reared at the East, and all our life familiar with her fruits, her soils and capabilities, we shall yet endeavor to blend the one with the other, that our work may be applicable there as here, even as we cherish at this day our "loved old home," with her rough, rocky surroundings, incentive only to the greater perfection and action of mind ; in that, self-dependence is made apparent from day to day.

Before the West was, i. e., settled by white man, the impression prevailed, among other errors connected with fruit culture, that " he who plants pears, plants for his heirs ;" and we well recollect being told when a boy, on planting out a young pear-tree, that possibly our children might eat of it, but we, never. Such prophecy, however, failed in our case, as nearly all others, for we have eaten often of it. And now, whether we attribute it to the locomotive age, to the active minds of our eastern brethren, or the spontaneous growth of the West — aided by her industrious denizens — we hardly wait for the season to come around ere we eat of the fruit ; our own experience having been to receive trees and plant them in March, and eat of the fruit in November following. Let this be attributable to what it may, such is now the impress, that no one buys a city lot, intending to keep it over one year, but he plants trees upon it, expecting and reaping the fruit thereof.

All this is encouraging ; but there is also a dark side in fruit culture gradually coming on us, to be met only by the general diffusion of knowledge on this subject; a knowledge that, as before remarked, will enable us to compete skilfully with deficiencies or over-luxuriance in soil ; to know the insects destructive, and their habits, that we may secure our products from their ravages ; and a just appreciation of the nature of trees, that we may know how to shape them to the withstanding of our changeful climate.

As under each appropriate head we give somewhat of the olden history of fruits, our remarks here will relate mainly to their introduction and advancement to Ohio and the West. Previous to 1796, there was very little other than the natural fruit of the soil cultivated in Ohio ; and not until about 1820 or '22, was there any con-

ADVANCEMENT OF FRUITS, ETC. 17

siderable introduction and planting of " grafted fruits " in the north part of the State. At that time the nursery of William Coxe, Esq., Burlington, New Jersey, seemed the nearest from which to obtain trees ; and therefore from thence came most of the first plantations of good fruits. Later, the nurseries of Prince, Kenrick, and Buel, supplied our northern pioneers ; and from these, with the liberal hand which always characterizes a fruit culturist, a lover of the Creator's best gifts, grafts were distributed freely to whoever would. As early as 1796 or 1797, Israel Putnam introduced and propagated many of the older and best eastern varieties on the borders of the Ohio river, and there cultivated both trees and fruits, from whence most of the older orchards of southern Ohio, and probably Indiana, were procured. Gov. Worthington, at an early clay, 1808, or previous, introduced many fine varieties of fruits into central Ohio. In 1820, Prof. Kirtland imported, from New Jersey to Trumbull County, Ohio, some two hundred sorts of the best fruits then known ; and in 1827, or '28 Geo. Hoadley, Esq., sent about one hundred kinds to Cleveland. Alfred Kelly also introduced many fine eastern varieties ; and, as before mentioned, grafts from all these were liberally distributed, followed by additional introductions of new varieties, in succeeding years. Add to these, that nearly every pioneer brought with him seeds of the best fruits known in the vicinity of his former residence East, which he planted and grew with care, and we have the heads of the principal introduction of varieties up to about 1832. Since that period, not only have importations of extended varieties been largely made and planted from eastern nurseries, but the nurseries of trees grown for sale have so multiplied in the whole West, that millions of trees are now annually grown and planted.

For the history that follows, relating to Illinois and Wisconsin, we are indebted to the zeal, enthusiasm, and courtesy of Doctor J. A. Kennicott :

u The Grove, Northfield, Cook Co., Illinois, October, 4, 1853.

" The first permanent settlements in Illinois were made by the French about 1682, in and about Kaskaskia and Cahokia ; and it is said, that ' the first generation of fruit trees, there planted, had done good service, and gone the way of all the living,' long before the advent of the present race who people ' Lower Egypt.' The Rev. John M. Peck (whom I quote from memory) affirms, that he ate most luscious fruits, some twenty or thirty years ago, the product of the second generation of these old French trees, even then of almost forest size.

From many sources I gather the fact, that among these old trees were, and still are, perhaps, individuals producing very desirable

18 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

fruit ; all, doubtless, of mature growth, though some may have been brought from Canada, whence the seeds very evidently came, in their route from the old world.

From this you perceive, that Illinois is one of the oldest fruitgrowing states ; and it is very certain, that our seedling trees generally yield better fruit than the mass of chance varieties in the East ; though, good sooth, I have been unable to trace any of our celebrated varieties in cultivation, to those glorious old trees, so graphically described by the Rev. Mr. Peck ; and yet, I am by no means certain, that some of our most valuable local varieties did not originate in that classic fruit-land of Southern Illinois.

It is very probable, also, that, in Central and Northern Illinois, there may now be native varieties, surpassing in value a large majority of the sorts named in the books, for local cultivation, at least. Analogy would lead to such a conclusion; for, as a general rule here, of fifty seedling trees, in almost any orchard, at least five will be found worthy of notice, and worth preserving in their natural state, though not desirable for propagation.

From personal observation you are already aware, that some fruits of high repute East, are nearly worthless here ; and that others are wonderfully improved by the peculiarities of our soil and climate. It is thought, too, that many old fruits have become so changed as to be no longer easily recognized ; and, as their history has been lost, and several local synonyms have been used to designate them, much difficulty and doubt attend our western nomenclature.

Perhaps these difficulties will soon be removed, and the doubts cleared up, as in Ohio, by the re-fruiting of our celebrated varieties East, from scions obtained here, or by further observation on the fructification here, under the true names.

Many of our varieties, of the first trees transplanted in western Illinois, and southern Wisconsin, were disseminated by tree pedlars from the region of the Wabash, in Indiana, and central-eastern Illinois ; and I am only aware that some of their sorts came from Ohio, and others from Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and a few, doubtless, from the Eastern States ; though what proportion, or what varieties of those brought us by these tree pedlars, I am unable to determine. Very few were sold under eastern names, however, and, now and then, a variety is, doubtless, of native origin.

Among these pedlars' trees, the Red June is decidedly the most valuable, and the Milam the most abundant.

Here-away, I know the origin of four-fifths of the trees planted out in the last ten or twelve years, apart from the pedlars' trees, which continued to arrive up to three or four years ago. The Buffalo nurseries and your Cleveland dealers have furnished the most. The nurseries of Chautauque County sent some early, and the Rochester establishments a great many more recently, and a few ten or twelve

ADVANCEMENT OF FRUITS, ETC. 19

years ago. The Flushing nurseries are also represented in our orchards, and, quite lately, those of Michigan and Northern Indiana; and, in fact, there is scarce an eastern establishment which has not sent trees to the lake region of Illinois and Wisconsin."

Similar to those named, is that of most Western States, in the historic _ introduction and origin of fruits. Chance seedlings, of value sufficient to retaining of the original tree, are abundant, while those meriting a first place are rare. The character of " very good" will apply to probably one-tenth of the fruit, while that of " best" will hardly apply to one-thousandth.

Of the value of fruits as food, of their free use and tendency to health of system and morality of character, much has been written ; but the following, by Doctor Kennicott, sums up all in few words :

" The free use of ripe fruits not only prevents disease, but their regulated enjoyment helps to remove that which already exists. All ripe fruits are, also, more 01 less nutritious. Professsor Salisbury has clearly demonstrated that the apple is superior to the potato, in the principles that go to increase the muscle and the brain of man, and in fattening properties, it is nearly equal, when cooked, for swine, or fed raw to other domestic animals."

Eipe grapes have cured Epidemic dysentery. Physicians have, occasionally, advised the use of " cooling acid fruits ;•" and the earliest writers have directed the sugary ones, as " figs," for food in convalescence. Families, where fruit is most plentiful and good, and prized as an article of daily food, are most free from disease of all kinds, and more especially from fevers and "bowel complaints." Most fruits aid digestion, some directly, some indirectly, and lessen the desire for alcoholic or stimulating drinks. The juicy ones act as " diluents," and all as " diureties ;" the free acids neutralizing, or rendering soluble the earthy matters in the blood, and carrying them off rapidly through the natural channels.