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27^6 Horticulturist and Journal 



than in other kinds. Her asual way is, to put 

 the fruit in a porcelain kettle, with enough 

 sugar to sweeten it to the tastes of the family 

 — from one-fourth to one-third of a pound of 

 sugar to a pound of fruit, depending upon the 

 acidity of the fruit — and cook it sufficiently to 

 thoroughly expel the air. Having the glass 

 cans tempered by standing in hot water, she 

 dips the boiling fruit into them, and imme- 

 diately fastens on the covers. After the cans 

 have cooled, she goes over them and tightens 

 any covers that may be a little loose. Her 

 loss probably does not exceed five per cent, of 

 the whole, and is no greater with strawberries 

 than with other species of fruit. 



Until quite recently we had always prac- 

 ticed canning the Wilson's Albany, exclusively. 

 So much sugar is required to render this very 

 sour variety palatable when cooked, that it is 

 too rich or strong to be really first rate. Two 

 years since, our bed of Wilsons having failed 

 we were obliged to can such varieties as we 

 had, mainly Grreen Prolifics, and Jucundas, 

 less acid berries. When we came to use 

 them, we were nuich surprised to find them 

 far more delicious than the Wilson. Here- 

 after if we can the AVilson at all, it will be 

 intermixed with Triomphe, Jucundas, or 

 some other varieties, sweeter than AVilson. 



One word in regard to sweetening fruit before 

 canning it. This is done not with a view to 

 its keeping better — for the keeping depends 

 upon the exclusion of the air or oxygen, the 

 acidifying agent, not upon the preservative 

 virtue of the sugar, but because it is better to 

 have the sugar cooked into the fruit, and it 

 would be quite inconvenient to heat up the 

 fruit again, after taking it from the can to 

 cook in the sugar. — Am. Rural Home. 



Best Varieties of Cherries. 



FOR market, it is very important that the 

 fruit be large, handsome, firm, with a 

 tough skin. .Some of our most delicious 

 cherries, such as Yellow Spanish and Coe's 

 Transparent, are so tender in skin or flesh as 

 to be almost worthless for shipping. 



Black Tartarian stands decidedly at the 

 head of the list for profit. It meets with the 

 most ready sale of all varieties. It is uni- 

 formly productive, very large, heart shape, 

 purplish black, firm, juicy, sweet. AVe would 

 advise any one in this vicinity setting out for 

 market a cherry orchard, to plant three-fourths 

 of them Black Tartarian. 



Among other kinds of black or purple 

 cherries sold quite largely in llochester 

 markets are, Black Eagle, Knight's Early 

 Black, and Black Bussian — the latter a late, 

 firm, rather bitter, second or third rate cherry, 

 which 'Sometimes sells well on account of its 

 lateness. 



Napoleon Bigarreau — probably the most 

 profitable yellow cherry for market. Very 

 large, heart-shape, pale yellow, with red cheek, 

 flesh firm, juicy, good. Tree vigorous and 

 productive. This variety is in demand for 

 canning — the yellow being preferred to the 

 red for that purpose — and probably ranks 

 next to the Black Tartarian for profit. 



AVe select the above kinds most extensively 

 grown for market here. AA'^e have little doubt 

 that those who should confine themselves to 

 Black Tartarian and Napoleon Bigarreau 

 would come out with the most money. For 

 family use, we would plant one tree each of 

 Yellow Spanish, Coe's Transparent, Bockport, 

 May-Duke, and Heine Hortense. — Rural 

 Home. 



The Charles Dot whig Strawberry. — 



J. L. Budd, Shellsburg, Iowa, says : " We 

 surely need a strawberry for home use with 

 less acid in it than the AVilson, at the same 

 time retaining, as far as possible, the hardy 

 habit and productiveness of the latter. So 

 far as my experience and observation go, the 

 Charles Downing is just about the berry we 

 have been looking for. It is of large size, 

 moderately firm, of most excellent flavor, 

 plants vigorous and hardy, about as produc- 

 tive as the AA^ilson, and the strength of the 

 plant is such that the berries are held up 

 from the dirt much better than with the 

 Wilson." 



