THE APPLE. 23 



fordshire and some other counties that it has become the 

 most common food, with a piece of bacon or pickled pork, 

 for families." Dr. Johnson mentions having known a 

 clergyman of small income who brought up a family very 

 respectably, which he chiefly fed upon apple dumplings ; 

 and it is to be hoped that they yet kept some relish for 

 the fare in after days, if there be any truth in the dictum 

 of Coleridge, that "no man has lost all simplicity of 

 character who retains a fondness for apple dumplings." 

 Our forefathers, however, believed that the fruit was 

 good for something more than either to fill hungry sto- 

 machs or to please the palate, for " being roasted and 

 eaten with rose-water and sugar," saith an old English 

 writer in 1657, " those of the pleasanter kinds, as Pippins 

 and Pearmaines, are helpful to dissolve melancholy hu- 

 mours, and to expel heaviness and promote mirth." Truly, 

 those fruits of the olden time had marvellous properties ! 

 We can. better understand the following remark, that 

 " the distilled water of good sound apples is of special 

 good use to expel melancholy," since distillation is a pro- 

 cess very apt to educe potency of this kind. 



While the dumpling is the staple form, of cookery in 

 this land of solids, on the other side of the Channel our 

 lighter neighbours delight in a peculiar preparation called 

 Raisine, consisting of apples stewed down in grape juice 

 or new wine, which is much used by all classes, and is, 

 indeed, in France what marmalade is in Scotland. Pom- 

 mee, too, a pleasant and most inexpensive preserve, worthy 

 of introduction here, is made in France about the end of 

 November, by taking all sorts of apples not fit for other 

 purposes, even including the worm-eaten ones, which, 

 peeled, cored, and cut in halves or quarters, are put over 

 a gentle fire with two or three glasses of water. When 

 the mass begins to melt it is poured out and left till next 

 day, when the process is repeated, and again on the third 

 day, after which it is put into pots, placed in ovens after 

 the withdrawal of the bread, until a crust is formed, which 

 tends to keep it ; and this preserve is found to be as sweet 

 as any that is prepared with sugar, while additional flavour 

 may be imparted if agreeable by adding lemon, cinnamon, 



