SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 353 



been annually pruned to spurs of three to four buds, has always borne a mon- 

 strous crop, and has now about nine feet bare at its base, while 18 feet are 

 loaded with fruit, and there is an extension of six feet, the growth of this year 

 — 33 feet in all. 



I have other grape-vines bearing fruit 25 or more feet from their bases. 

 They are on trellises six feet high and eight feet apart, with long canes thrown 

 across them, and trained on cross-bars six to eight feet apart. The best fruit 

 has always been overhead, but now, after five years' bearing, there is little on 

 the side trellises, which is not the case with the vine first mentioned, no part of 

 it being shaded. — S. B. Peck in Rural New Yorker. 



GRAPES TO EAT AND TO KEEP. 



Give to a capable naturalist the human jaw and teeth, and ask him what 

 kind of food the animal required, and he would at once say the teeth indicated 

 a mixed diet. Here are 32 teeth, 28 of them calculated by nature for the 

 grinding of fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables, and four for the tearing of 

 flesh. Our health, and consequent happiness, depends very much upon our 

 living in accordance with the laws indicated in our teeth. 



Farmers well understand if they keep their horses on too concentrated diet 

 that their stomachs get out of order, and they have to be turned out to grass to 

 give them a chance to recuperate. The human animal suffers as much from 

 the violation of nature's laws as any other. Our dyspeptic stomachs are con- 

 stantly sounding the alarm from our eating too much meat and too little fruit. 

 Our system is constantly calling for the elements contained in the outer coat- 

 ing of our fruits, grains, and roots. Twelve thousand dentists are employed in 

 the United States hammering gold into our teeth, maiuly because we live on 

 an unnatural diet — too concentrated and refined food. 



Our teeth are deteriorating, and in many families the number has been 

 reduced to 28, because we have ceased to use them to grind our food, and nature 

 refuses to keep up the supply where there is no demand. 



As fruit is largely indicated as a requirement of our system, how shall it be 

 eaten to best fulfill the demand? 



It has been demonstrated by chemical analysis that a large portion of the 

 bone-making material is found in the skins of our fruits, grains, and roots. 



This brings us to the test of a good grape. 



No grape should be considered good unless it can be eaten, pulp, seeds, and 

 skins, with added relish. 



At the grape cures in France the patients are required to eat whole grapes, 

 pulp, seeds, and skins, to get the full benefit of the dietetic treatment. 



At the inebriate cures all cases are considered hopeful where they can be 

 induced to eat largely of fruit, the fruit overcoming the desire and destroying 

 the taste for liquor. 



It being conceded that grapes are desirable, how can we preserve them to 

 prolong their usefulness? 



The grapes should be picked when they are free from dampness, as the least 



moisture will cause them to mold. Great care should be taken not to break 



any of the grapes for the same reason. It is an advantage to place them at 



once in the box or jar in which they are to be kept, to avoid extra handling. 



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