THE CANADIAN EXHIBIT OF FRUIT AT THE PARIS EXHIBITION 



OF 1900. 



COLLECTION OF THE FRUIT, ETC. 



*HE collection of fruit and vegetables 

 for the g-reat International Exhibi- 

 tion was begun in June, 1899, in 



'^p-i time to obtain the earliest fruits of 

 the season. 



The work was begun simultaneously in 

 the different Provinces of the Dominion. 

 This was absolutely necessary where so 

 large an extent of territory had to be gone 

 over. In the older Provinces the work was 

 put into the hands of experienced men, 

 under the general direqtion of the Director 

 of the Experimental Farms. A good deal 

 of the work was done at the several experi- 

 mental farms — their splendid collections of 

 fruits and vegetables giving them unusual 

 facilities for the task. 



As it was desirable to make as complete 

 an exhibit as possible of the various fruits 

 of the country, it was necessary to preserve 

 the soft fruits and the smaller vegetables, 

 that were quickly perishable, in antiseptic 

 fluids, in clear, glass jars. For that purpose 

 jars of various sizes from a pint to a half 

 bushel were procured and sent to the 

 collectors, together with the formulas, and 

 the necessary chemicals and alcohol to be 

 used in making the antiseptic fluids. Thus 

 fitted out the collectors went into the 

 country, and either personally collected the 

 fruit in the gardens and orchards or made 

 arrangements to have it sent to a central 

 point where it could easily be reached and 

 collected for preservation. 



FORMULAS FOR PRESERVING THE FRUIT. 



I St. A two per cent, solution of formalin 

 was used for strawberries, red raspberries, 

 black berries, and black currants. 2nd. A 

 two per cent, solution of boracic acid for 



cherries, red and black currants, red goose- 

 berries, red and black grapes, plumbs and 

 apples. 3rd. A three per cent, solution of 

 chloride of zinc for all light colored fruits, 

 green and russet apples, &c. 4th. A 

 solution of sulphurous acid, of one pint of 

 the acid to eight pints of water, to be also 

 used for light colored fruits. 10 per cent. 

 of alcohol was added to all these solutions 

 to prevent danger from freezing. 



These preservative fluids were calculated 

 to preserve the colors as well as the sub- 

 stance and texture of different fruit, and 

 accomplished the desired end fairly well, and 

 would doubtless have been perfect had the 

 fruits been always in proper condition when 

 put into it. In fact so well did they accom- 

 plish that purpose that they were universally 

 admired. Probably no part of the general 

 exhibit of Canada, or for that matter of any 

 of the countries exhibiting, awakened so 

 great a degree oi' interest and gave oppor- 

 tunity for asking so many questions as the 

 splendid display of Canadian fruit, both 

 natural and in solution. The bright liquids 

 and the clear glass jars gave the preserved 

 fruit a very tempting appearance. House- 

 holders never wearied oi admiring it, nor of 

 enquiring how it was done, when it was 

 gathered, and what were we going to do 

 with it at the close of the exhibition, and 

 the disappointment was correspondingly 

 great when they found that it was not to be 

 eaten. As the summer was full advanced, 

 the astonishment was always marked when 

 visitors, in answer to their questions, were 

 told that the natural iruit was of the year 

 1899. A considerable quantity of the fruit 

 of 1899 was still in perfect preservation 

 when the new fruit was installed in October. 



