Transactions Illinois State Horticulturar Society. 



WE have in hand a copy of the doings of the Illinois State Horticultural Society 

 for 1872. It is the Seventeenth Annual Report of the Society, forming a 

 handsome volume well filled with the usual reports from the standing committees, 

 discussions, and liberally spiced with well written papers upon various topics. The 

 report upon utilizing fruits is of general interest, for who does not at the present day, 

 use fruit, or its products in some form or other, even to hard cider. The work upon 

 the report was divided among the committee. Mr. Periani of the committee spoke 

 upon the preservation of orchard fruits in their natural state, and of drying and 

 canning. In treating this division of the subject Mr. P. said : 



All that is necessary in order to keep fruits perfectly, in fresh or natural state, is 

 to place them in a dry, pure atmosphere, at a temperature of thirty-five to thirty- 

 eight degrees. This has been accomplished by the plan of Prof. Nyce, and also in 

 Schooley's preservatory, the essential features differing in no great degree. The 

 plan adopted by Mr. Nyce was to keep the temperature of the room at thirty-four 

 degrees, and the atmosphere dry by means of the refuse of salt works, chloride of 

 calcium, commonly called " bitterns." It is thus stated by Prof. Nyce : 



" In a room or any confined vessel when filled with fruit in the gradual process of 

 ripening, carbonic acid and water are constantly being generated. Six pounds of 

 carbon and one of hydrogen will take up all the oxygen contained in one hundred 

 and twentj' pounds of air. The oxygen, especially if the fruit be ripe and the room 

 warm, will usually be consumed in forty-eight hours. The atmosphere is then made 

 up of the nitrogen of the air, and carbonic acid. The former is destitute of all active 

 properties, good or bad. The latter is not found to have any action on fruit im- 

 mersed therein. Hydrogen and carbon then cease to be evolved from the fruit, as 

 there is no agent to unite with them, in the same way that they cease to be evolved 

 from a burning candle when air is removed. Decomposition ceases in both cases, 

 from the same cause." 



It is simply the application of a principle laid down by Liebig who says : 



" Decay is much retarded by moisture, and by the substance being surrounded 

 with an atmosphere of carbonic acid, which prevents the air from coming in contact 

 with decaying matter." 



From this it would appear that the more perfectly the fruit is ripened, the better 

 it will keep, care being taken that it be not overripe ; the process of after ripening 

 being a purely chemical process, the starch being gradually converted into sugar, 

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