iStioreiary'n Badyel. 393 



sugar, allowing half a pound to a pound of quince. Cook until 

 almost too stiff to stir. Put away iu wooden boxes or cups. It 

 will never spoil, and can be kept indefi*nitel}^ It can be cut into 

 bits for garnishing* puddings, pies, &c., or used with omelet. This 

 is a most useful sweetmeat, and easih' made. 



KEEPING FKL'IT WITHOUT CANS. 



In our issue of July 19th,. we published a communication to 

 the Prairie Farmer from the editor of the Sharon (Mass.) Advo- 

 cate, describing a simple process of keejiiiig fruits in bowls and 

 other open-top vessels, simply covered with the unglazed cotton, 

 such as is purchased in the stores rolled in blue paper, as follows : 

 " Use crocks, stone butter jars, or any other convenient dishes. 

 Prepare and cook the fruit precisely as for canning in glass jars ; 

 fill your dishes wdth the fruit while it is yet hot, and immediately 

 cover with cotton batting securely tied on. Remember that all 

 putrefaction is caused by the invisible creatures in the air. Cook- 

 ing the frait expels all these, and as they cannot pass through 

 cotton batting, the frait thus protected will keep an indefinite 

 period. The writer of this has kept berries, cherries, plums, and 

 many other kinds of fruit for two years with no cover save batting 

 on the jars." 



[As previously stated, if fruit can thus be unfailingly kept, it 

 is a matter of great interest. We lind in the Sharon Advocate, of 

 July 25th, our articles and remarks copied, and the following ed- 

 itorial remarks, which are confirmatory of the previous statements, 

 and we advise at least a limited trial of the process by our readers. 

 We will not discuss the theory of the method, which is of less 

 immediate importance than the practical outcome. Mr. Wickes 

 says :] 



"This subject is of such importance to the public, and so little 

 understood, that we again refer to it. Brother Judd, editor of the 

 Prairie Farmer, is no doubt correct in supposing that the preserva- 

 tion of fruits in tightly sealed cans results from the exclusion of the 

 oxygen of the air. We suppose, however, that depriving the 

 bacteria of oxygen deprives them of life, as no animal life can 

 exist without it. Professor Tyndall demonstrated several years ago 

 that all j)utref;iction was caused by the bacteria in the air, and could 

 be prevented by enclosing the article in cotton batting. 



" The published results of Tyndall's experiment fell under the 

 eye of Dr. Chase, an eminent phy.siciau of Thomaston, Maine, and 

 he at once saw its practical value. At his suggestion, Mrs. Chase 



