186 



REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



per cent, sugar in the juice. From the difference in climatic and soil condi- 

 tions, this is no different than we might expect. Contrasting the Oregon 

 fruit, with sixteen per cent, of sugar in the juice, with that of Germany, 

 carrying six and fifteen hundredths per cent, sugar, we see that the home 

 product is nearly three times as rich in this ingredient 



In their acid content, the prunes examined present a wide variation. The 

 average acidity in terms of sulphuric acid was found to be thirty-five hun- 

 dredths per cent., which was the same as that found for the Petite prunes. 

 The Italians showed an average acid content of forty-two hundredths per 

 cent : this larger acid content and the smaller sugar content giving this; 

 variety of prune its marked characteristic in respect to acidity. 



Albumenoids — Of this important class of bodies, the maximum one and 

 seventy hundredths per cent., is found in Silver 974, and the minimum, 

 eighty-one hundredths per cent., in Petite 1049. The average for Petites. 

 was one and fourteen hundredths per cent, in the flesh, against one and nine 

 hundredths for Italians, still giving the Italians second place, as was indi- 

 cated in our former i)ublication. In this connection, it is interesting to note 

 that the reports of California analyses (twenty) show as an average eight 

 hundred and thirty-seven thousandths per cent, albumenoids in the flesh, 

 against one and fourteen hundredths per cent, for Oregon fruit. No analyses 

 showing the albumenoids in the edible portion of European prunes are at 

 hand, but in the whole fruit it is reported to be seventy-eight hundredths 

 per cent. 



FOOD VALUE OF FRESH PRUNES. 



Proximntr Cninposition — A study of the data given in the table under 

 this head shows that fresh prunes cannot be regarded as having a high food 

 value, carrying as they do, an average of seventy-seven and thirty-seven 

 hundreths per cent, of water. Of the two leading varieties grown here the 

 Petites seem to have the largest per cent, of organic matter — twenty-six and 

 ninety-eight hundredths for Petites against twenty-one and ninety-eight 

 hundreths for Italians. Considered from this standpoint fresh prunes would 

 have about the same food value as vegetables, which may be shown by a few 

 analyses as follows : 



TABLE ^'. 



Fresh prunes (Oregon ; all prunes) 



Fresh prunes (Oregon ; Petites) 



Fresh prunes (Oregon ; Italians) -^ 



California (all prunes) 



Plums (California) 



Cherries (Oregon) ^-, 



Cherries (California;) 



Potatoes 1 



String beans 



Turnips 



Water. 



77.37 

 72.26 

 77.07 



50. 20 

 78.40 



51. SO 

 79.40 

 78.30 

 80.20 

 90. 46 



IJry 



Matter 



23.46 



27.74 

 22. 93 

 19.80 

 21.60 

 18.70 

 20. 60 

 2] . 70 

 10.80 

 9.54 



Protein. 



TA 1 



Nitrogen 

 free extract 



including 

 fat and fiber 



1.14 

 1.14 

 1.09 



.80 

 1.00 



.90 

 1.20 

 2.20 

 2.30 

 1.14 



21.14 



25.49 

 20.56 

 18.50 

 20.10 

 17. 30 

 19.00 

 17.50 

 7.70 

 8.63 



.83 



.76 

 .86 

 .50 

 .50 

 .50 

 .40 

 1.00 

 .80 

 .80 





.35 

 . :!•> 

 .42 



.-Id' 



.10 



