310 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



both men and animals. These investigators found that raw, unripe 

 fruits are often harmful, especially to children, hut that the effects 

 depend in a marked degree on individual peculiarities. 



These experiments indicate that the real danger from green 

 gooseberries, plums, pears and apples when eaten raw is less than is 

 generally believed. The investigators found no chemical element in 

 the green, which was not in the ripe fruit. The injurious efifects of 

 raw, green fruit may be said therefore (as based on these experi- 

 ments) to depend largely on the percentage of hard cell tissue which 

 is likely to be imperfectly masticated and, possibly, also on the ex- 

 cess of acid which green fruit contains. They found that green fruit 

 when cooked and sweetened was both palatable and wholesome. 

 Fruits to be eaten raw should always be washed before serving, be- 

 cause, even though grown at home, they have been handled while 

 preparing for the table, and such fruits as grow near the ground, 

 like strawberries, are liable to have particles of sand and dirt adher- 

 ing to them. 



Investigations show that fruits which have been exposed to the 

 dust of the street are liable to be contaminated, and cases of infection 

 have been traced to the consumption of fresh raw fruit. Flies and 

 other insects are evident causes of dirt in such fruit as stands unpro- 

 tected in home or market. 



In the United States raw fruit of good quality is considered very 

 wholesome and is freely used, but in some other countries little or 

 no raw fruit is eaten. 



There are two reasons why raw fruit may be considered un- 

 desirable. 



1. Unsanitary methods of handling or marketing may cause 

 bacterial or other contamination. 



2. Over-ripe fruit has usually begun to ferment and may for 

 this reason be unwholesome though showing no special signs of 

 deterioration. 



Notwithstanding that all soft fruits, such as berries, lose some 

 flavor by washing, all fruits to be served raw should be thoroughly 

 washed. When the washing is properly done and just before the 

 fruit is to be used, the loss in both flavor and food value is extremely 

 small. 



I'Lhrlick, a ( ierman investigator, found that washing fresh fruits 

 thoroughly once in running water was sufficient to remove any mi- 

 crobes that might adhere to the surface, but if the fruit had stood 

 until the naturally sticky surface was somewhat dry, it needed to be 

 washed two or three times to ensure cleanliness. The present 



