302 THE APPLE CULTVJW3T. 



cessful and intelligent farmer of Central New York recent- 

 ly wrote us as follows : 



" I have been amused to hear farmers who have devoted years to their calling 

 say that apples dry up their cows, and that they are not worth gathering for milch- 

 cows. This year apples were too scarce to feed : but I think, from some experi- 

 ments that I have made, that they are at least equal to carrots in weight for feed- 

 ing stock, and especially milch-cows, as they always gain both in milk and flesh 

 when fed on them. Apples and pumpkins should not be suffered to freeze, as that 

 injures their feeding properties very much. I never saw lambs do better every 

 way than when their feed was good hay and one bushel of apples per hundred 

 sheep per day. Several who have fed apples to their sheep have refused to sell 

 them for cider-making, and even fed out those of the best quality to dry, in pref- 

 erence to drying them for sale at the prices paid for dried fruit." 



Chemical Analysis of Apples. According to the analyses made by Professor Salis- 

 bury, "The apple is usually rich in phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and potash 

 and soda. Hence we may infer that bone-dust, ashes, salt, and plaster would be 

 likely to prove useful as portions of the manure applied to bearing trees, in addi- 

 tion to what is already contained in yard-manure. One striking difference in the 

 composition of the apple and potato is the entire absence of starch in the apple, 

 while in the potato starch constitutes nearly one-third of the solid part. The ap- 

 ple, according to this analysis, is rather superior to the potato in fat-producing 

 qualities, which accords with the experience of some accurate farmers. The ap- 

 ple contains about twice as much of the compounds of nitrogen as the potato. 

 The English Russet contains less water and more dry matter than most other 

 sorts. This is doubtless the reason why this variety is so hard to freeze. The 

 Taltnan's Sweeting contains more, the Greening still more, and the Kilham Hill 

 most water of all, ranging in all these varieties from 79 to 86 per cent. A fresh 

 potato contains about as much water as the Russet. The apple contains a small 

 quantity of tannic and gallic acids, the proportion being greater in the Russets 

 than in most other varieties. The astringency so striking in some kinds of apples, 

 which is easily detected by the black color given to a knife or any iron substance 

 when thrust into them, is owing to the presence of these acids. The ripe apple is 

 rich in sugar and a body analogous to gum, called dextrine, which has the same 

 composition as starch, although it differs from starch in being soluble in cold wa- 

 ter, and not colored blue with iodine. 



" Dextrine and sugar in the apple take the place of starch, dextrine, and sugar 

 in the potato. Of the former, 100 Ibs. of good fruit contain of dextrine, sugar, 

 and extract 11.4 Ibs. ; the latter has, in the same amount of fresh tubers, 13.61 Ibs. 

 starch ; dextrine, sugar, and extract, 68.5 Ibs. ; in the same quantity of dry potato 

 there is of starch, dextrine, sugar, and extract, 68.02 Ibs. The above proximate 

 principles are the main bodies in the apple and potato which go to form fat. In 

 the aggregate amount, then, of fat-producing products it will be seen that the apple 

 and potato do not materially differ. It would be natural, however, to infer that 

 50 Ibs. of dextrine and sugar would, if taken into the system, be more likely to 

 make a greater quantity of fat in a given time, or at least to make the same 

 amount in a shorter period, than an equal weight of starch, for this reason, that 

 the two former bodies, although nearly the same in composition with the latter, 

 are yet physically farther advanced in organization, and hence probably approxi- 

 mate nearer the constitution of fat. If this view be taken, then the apple, if of 

 good quality, may be regarded equally, if not more rich in fat-producing products 

 than the potato. One hundred Ibs. of fresh apple contain of albumen 1.38 Ibs. ; 

 the same amount of fresh potato has J of a Ib. ; 100 Ibs. of dry apple contain 8.37 

 Ibs. of albumen, and an equal weight of dry tubers has 1 Ibs. ; 100 Ibs, of fresh 

 fruit contain of casein 0.16 of a Ib., and an equal weight of fresh tubers 0.45 of a 

 Ib. ; 100 Ibs. of dry apples have 1 Ib. of casein, and the same amount of dry potato 



