STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 73 



The question of whether alcohol is a food or not, is one which will 

 -always be discussed and never settled until the parties to the differ- 

 ent beliefs can agree to mutual concessions. I shall content myself 

 with a simple statement of fact with reference to its effects admin- 

 istered in health and disease. Alcohol is, we all know, universally 

 consumed, but in health it is useless, of no good result, and likely to 

 be absolutely harmful Habitual use of sherry, port and Madeira 

 tends to produce gout and congestive diseases. All wines used in 

 excess weaken the functional activity of the stomach, and induce 

 congestion of all the viscera. As an article of medicine it ranks 

 among the first. In the convalescence from continued fevers it is of 

 great value. In low febrile affections, if it increase the fullness and 

 lessen the frequency of the pulse, soothes delirium and induces 

 sleep, its use may be continued with advantage ; if the opposite 

 effect, then it should be omitted. The sparkling wines are most 

 sedative to the stomach and most heady ; but as they contain con- 

 siderable sugar, acid fermentation and headache are likely to follow 

 their use. The sweet wines have usuallj- considerable alcoholic 

 strength, but the appetite soon tires of them and they disorder the 

 stomach. The red wines, having a good deal of tannin, are apt to 

 cause constipation and increase tissue waste. 



To the grape we are indebted for pure cream of tartar. Tartaric 

 acid of commerce is wholly prepared from a substance called argol, 

 or tartar, which is an impure tartrate of potassium, deposited from 

 grape juice during fermentation. This substance is purified by hot 

 water with the aid of pipe clay and animal charcoal, to remove the 

 coloiing matter of the wine. The deposit resulting from this 

 process is cream of tartar, and from this is prepared, b}' various 

 chemical processes, the crystalline tartaric acid, which forms with 

 different salts such valuable medicinal substances as tartrate of 

 sodmm, Rochelle salts and tartar emetic. 



When we come to consider the apple we must confess our inability 

 to do justice to its many excellent qualities. The ancient fable 

 relates that when the Goddess of Wisdom competed with the other 

 •divinities to produce the most perfect work, the result of her handi- 

 work was a fruit tree. Familiar as we are and appreciative as we 

 all ought to be, of the produce of our apple orchards, we must admit 

 the excellence of her judgment. Those of us who are proud of our 

 New England origin, and who have not yet deserted her for the more 

 liberal promises of western skies, will never easily admit the exis- 



