238 PRINCIPLES OF GARDENING. [CH. VII. 



sap, that sap requires for its formation an extra 

 supply of moisture, inasmuch as that its chief in- 

 gredient is "water. 



Though ahundance is required it must not be 

 excessive, for if this does occur, the sap poured into 

 the fruit is so abundant that it cannot elaborate it 

 sufficiently fast ; and instead of exhalmg the super- 

 fluous moisture, its cells enlarge, and the fruit 

 greatly increases in size, but at the expense of its 

 flavour. In veiy wet seasons the supply of moisture 

 is so great that the cells of the parenchymous or 

 fleshy part of the fruit swells faster than its epidermis 

 can expand, and this consequently bursts. This is 

 continually occurring to the plum and cherry. When 

 this happens to the greengage, and its extremely sax:-- 

 charine juice is exposed to the air, vinous fermentation 

 speedily takes place, and an appreciable quantity of 

 spirit of wine (alcohol) is formed, a discovery to which I 

 was led by observing, what every gardener must have 

 observed, that wasps, after feeding plentifully upon 

 the juice that has been thus exposed, usually fall to 

 the ground stupified and inebriated. 



Finiit has also the power of imbibing water through 

 the pores of its epidermis, a power taken ad^'antage 

 of by those gooseberiy growers, who aim at size 

 rather than flavour. They keep the calyx end of the 

 berry dipped in a saucer of water. 



Fruit for storing should be gathered before it is 



