108 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



comes brown, yellow or red, and no longer acts on the air like the 

 leaves, but, on the contrary, absorbs oxygen and gives out carbonic 

 acid. As this process advances, some of the proximate principles 

 contained in the unripe fruit — particularly the vegetable acids and 

 tannin — in part disappear, apparently by oxidation, and then it becomes 

 less sour and astringent. At the same time the starch undergoes trans- 

 formation into sugar and the insoluble pectose into pectin and other 

 soluble substances of allied composition and having more or less of 

 a gelatinous character. The fruit in this way arrives at a stage of per- 

 fection for eating. Unless these changes are arrested by the surround- 

 ing temperature, oxidation still advances and the sugar and remaining 

 acid become destroyed, giving rise to the loss of flavor which occurs 

 after the full ripened state has been attained, and deterioration sets in. 



The agreeable taste of fruits partly depends on the aroma and 

 partly on the existence of a due relation between the acid, sugar, gum, 

 pectin, etc., and likewise the amount of water and the soluble and in- 

 soluble constituents. Lucious fruits, like the peach, greengage and 

 mulberry, which seem to melt in the mouth, contain a very large pro- 

 portion of soluble substances. A due proportion of gum, pectin and 

 other gelatinous substances serves to mask the taste of the free acid, 

 if present in a somewhat large porportion as compared with the sugar. 

 Such is the case with the peach, apricot and greengage, which contain 

 but a small amount of sugar as compared with free acid and a large 

 proportion of gum and pectous substances. The sour taste of certain 

 berry fruits, as the current and gooseberry, arises from the presence 

 of a considerable quantity of free acid, with only a small amount of 

 gam and pectin to disguise it. 



By cultivation the proportion of sugar may be increased in fruits, 

 as is instanced by the difference existing between the wild and culti- 

 vated strawberry and raspberry. 



Fruit forms an agreeable and refreshing kind of food, and, eaten 

 in moderate quantity, exerts a forcible influence as an article of diet. 

 Its proportion of nitrogenous matter is too low and of water too high 

 to allow it to possess much nutritive value. It is chiefly of service — 

 looking at the actual material afforded — for the carbohydrates, vege- 

 table acids and salts it contains. It enjoys in a high degree the power 

 of counteracting the unhealthy state found to be induced by too close 

 restriction to dried and salted provisions. The lemon and lime are 

 especially useful and largely used on account of their anti-scorbutic 

 €fQcacy. 



While advantageous when consumed in moderate quantity, fruit, 

 on the other hand, proves injurious if eaten in excess. Of a highly 



