92 



A slight fermentation takes place in moat of the jars, but this, so far from being 

 harmful, iw regarded as necessary, but of course it must not be allowed to go too far. 



There is yet another ' stage, and that perhaps the most important, through which 

 the peel has to pass before it can be pronounced sufficiently saturated with sugar. 

 It is now boiled in a still stronger sirup, of a density of 40 degrees by the testing 

 tube, and this is done in large copper vessels over a slow coke fire, care being taken 

 to prevent the peel adhering to the side of the vessel by gentle stirring with a long 

 paddle-shaped ladle. The second boiling will occupy about an hour. 



Taken off the fire, the vessels are carried to a large wooden trough, over which is 

 spread a coarse, open wire netting. The contents are poured over this, and the 

 peel distributed over the surface of the netting, so that the sirup now thickened 

 to the consistency of treacle may drain off the surface of the peel into the trough 

 below. The peel has now taken up as much sugar as is necessary. 



Now comes the final process, the true candying of the covering of the surface of 

 the peel with the layer of sugar- crystals which is seen upon all candied fruits. To 

 effect this a quantity of crystallized sugar at Leghorn the same quality of sugar is 

 used as is employed in the preparation of the sirup is just dissolved in a little 

 water, and in this the now dried peel, taken off the wire netting, is immersed. The 

 same copper vessels are used, and the mixture is again boiled over a slow fire. A 

 short boiling will suffice for this, the last process, for the little water will be quickly 

 driven off, and the sugar upon cooling will form its natural crystals over the sur- 

 face of the fruit. Poured off from these vessels, it is again dried upon the surface 

 of the wire netting, as before described. The candying is now complete, and the 

 candied peel is ready for the packing room, to which it is carried off in shallow bas- 

 kets. 



In the packing room may be seen hundreds of boxes of oval shapes, or, if I may so 

 speak, of rectangular shape, with rounded corners and of different sizes, for each 

 country prefers its boxes to be of a particular weight, Hamburg taking the largest 

 of 15 and 30 kilogrammes ; the United States of America preferring smaller, of 10 and 

 12 kilogrammes ; whilst England takes the smallest, of 5 kilogrammes, and one con- 

 taining about 7 English pounds. The wood of which the tops and bottoms of these 

 boxes are made comes to us in thin planks from Trieste, and a skillful packing is 

 generally done by women, and the boxes are lined with white paper. They are 

 then packed in cases of 100 kilogrammes, ten of the smaller American boxes filling a 

 case. The candied peel is now ready for export. 



SPECIAL INQUIRIES AND ANSWERS. 



That portion of the official correspondence of the Department which 

 relates to subject-matter connected with the operations and specialties 

 of the horticultural division, and is referred to the horticulturist for 

 consideration and reply, embraces a variety of subjects upon which ad- 

 vice is repeatedly asked by different individuals; and as the replies 

 made, so far as the Department is concerned, reach only to the indi- 

 vidual addressed, and as this correspondence is largely of general ap- 

 plication and directly practical in its nature, I have selected the follow- 

 ing from the many similar communications with a view to lessen repe- 

 titions of these particular inquiries: 



VANILLA. 



S. M. R., Polk County, Florida. I understand that the Vanilla Bean grows well in 

 all parts of Mexico and in cool places. I am sure it would do well in this county, 



