AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 189 



CHAPTER 



Fruits. Effect of Soil, Climate. Shape of, Color, Flavor, Specific Gravity. 

 Fruit-trees ; selecting Varieties, bearing Qualities, new Kinds. 



FRUITS. 



" Good for food, and pleasant to the eyes." 



FRUITS always commend themselves to the natural taste, and 

 their free use in the ripe state, whether raw or cooked, is pleas- 

 ant, economical, and highly conducive to health. In some 

 fruits a simple statement of the grade of their quality is suffi- 

 cient ; but in several of the more important classes, as apples 

 and pears, there are general divisions which it is important to 

 notice, as summer and winter fruits, sweet, subacid, vinous, sour, 

 melting, buttery, firm, mealy, gritty, &c. ; and in plums and 

 peaches, clings or freestones. Various persons prefer fruit with 

 one or other of these peculiarities, according to diversity of taste, 

 or for special seasons or uses : melting, buttery, subacid or sweet, 

 and freestone fruits for eating out of hand ; clingstone, sour, and 

 firm fruits for preserving the sweet fruits preserved or stewed 

 being usually flat, though occasionally a subacid fruit is found 

 which, with little sugar, is yet lively, the acid developing with 

 the process of cooking ; as also sour fruit, when cooked, is more 

 acid than when raw. 



Most of these peculiarities in fruits are modified by various 

 causes, as soil, climate, &c., in some cases deteriorating good 

 kinds till they become almost worthless. 



EFFECT OF SOIL. 



A wet and cold soil, whether it be poor or rich, tends to in- 

 crease the rough acidity of fruits ; a warm, dry soil, on the 

 other hand, naturally heightens the flavor, and limits and re- 

 fines the acidity. 



Fruits raised in very rich soil, other things being equal, are 



