256 CHANGES DURING RIPENING. [BOOK n. 



Water before Water at 

 ripeness. ripeness. 



" Apricots . 89-39 74-87 



Currants 86-41 81-10 



Duke Cherries . . . 88-28 74-85 



Green Gages .... 74-87 71-10 



Melting Peaches . . . 90-31 80-24 



Jargonelle Pears , % . 86-28 83-88 



" This diminution appears to depend in part upon the fruit 

 absorbing less water as it approaches maturity, and in part 

 upon the combination with its tissue of a portion of the water 

 it has received. Sugar, on the contrary, appears to be con- 

 tinually on the increase, as indeed the taste would tell us ; 

 thus we find, per cent. 



"Green. Ripe. 



"Apricots (a trace when young,! ^.^ 1648 



afterwards) . . .J 



Red Currants . , . . 0-52 6-24 



Duke Cherries . . . . 1-12 18-12 



Green Gage Plums . . . 17'71 24-81 



Melting Peaches .... 0-63 11-61 



Jargonelle Pears . . . . 6-45 11-52 



" This sugar is sometimes in a state more or less concrete, 

 as in the Grape, the Fig, and the Peach; sometimes in a 

 liquid state. It seems to be formed at the expense of other 

 matters, the proportion of which diminishes. Thus the 

 quantity of lignine per cent, is found 



" Green. Ripe. 



"Apricots 3-61 1-86 



Currants (including the seeds) . . 8:45 8-01 



Duke Cherries .... 2-44 1-12 



Green Gage Plums .... 1-26 Ml 



Melting Peaches . . . 3-01 1-21 



Jargonelle Pears .... 3-8 2-19 



" It is possible, indeed, that the lignine formed in the 

 green fruit does not in reality diminish, but that the dilatation 

 of the cellular tissue, and consequently the augmentation of 



