1850. 



THE GENESEE PARMER. 



251 



aciil, 7 lbs. of sulphuric acid, 38 lbs. of potash, and 

 25 lbs. of soda : these four bodies forming about 83 

 per cent, of the whole ash." 



The mean of the proximate organic analyses of the 

 six varieties is as follows : 



1000 parts of 

 fresh apple. 



Colhihr libre. 32.03 



Gliilinous matter, wit!i a 



little fit and wax, 1.94 



Dextrine, 31.44 



Su^ar and extract, 83.25 



JMaTlc acid, 3.17 



Albumen, 13.79 



Casein, 1.(14 



1000 p.irts of 

 dry apple. 

 190.879 



11.463 



18G.S05 

 497.627 

 19..58.1 

 83.72U 

 9.921 



Dry matter, 167.26 



Water, 826.64 



Loss, 6.10 



lOUO.OOO 



looo.ooa 



1000.00 

 "The ripe apple is rich in sugar and a body anal- 

 ogous to gum, called dextrine, which has the same 

 composition as starch, but diti'ers from it in beiiiu- 

 soluble in cold water, and not colored blue with iodine^ 

 Dextrine and gum should not be confounded with each 

 other. They ditTer very materially in many respects. 

 Dextrine belongs to a class of bodies which are sus- 

 ceptible of nourishing the aniuial body. All the 

 starch taken as food is converted into dextrine before 

 it is assimilated by the system. Tlie acids of the 

 stomach possess the property of convening starch into 

 this body. 



"In the fresh apple, 100 lbs. contain about 3.2 lbs. 

 of fibre ; 0.2 of a lb. of gluten, fat, and wax ; 3.1 lbs. 

 of dextrine ; 8.3 lbs. of sugar and extract ; 0.3 of a 

 lb. of malic acid ; 1.4 lbs. of albumen ; O.lt^ of a lb. 

 of casein ; and 82.66 lbs. of water. 



In the fresh potato, 100 lbs. contain about 9.7 lbs. 

 of starch ; 3.8 lbs. of fibre ; 0.2 of a lb. of gluten ; 

 0.08 of alb. of albumen ; 0.45 of lb. casein ; 1.27 lbs. 

 of dextrine ; 2.6 lbs. of sugar and extract ; and 79.7 

 lbs. of water. 



By comparing the composition of the apple with 

 that of the potato, it will be noticed — first, that the 

 former contains, according to the analysis, about 3 

 per cent, more of water than the latter. 



Second, tliat dextrine and sugar in the apple take 

 the place of starch, dextrine, and sugar, in the potato. 

 Of the former, 100 lbs. of good fruit contain of dex- 

 trine, sugar, and extract, 11.4 lbs. ; the latter has, in the 

 same amount of tubers, 13.61 lbs. of starch, dextrine, 

 sugar, and extract. The above proximate principles 

 are the main bodies in the apple and potato which go to 

 form fat. In the aggregate amount 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 60 lbs. 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 the reason, that the two 

 former bodies, altliough nearly the same in compo.?i- 

 tion with the latter, yet are physically farther ad- 

 vanced 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 re- 

 garded equally if not more rich in fat producing pro- 

 ducts than the potato. I that time coming rather high, viz: fy or $10 per 

 Thirdly, that the apple is richer in nitrogenous ton, and sixteen miles to haul it, over hilly road. No 

 compound than the potato. 100 lbs. of fresh apple one could have made me believe that the little dust- 

 contaiu of albumen, 1.38 lbs. The same amount of | ing would have such an astonishino- eftect on the 



fresh potato has one-fourth of a pound. 100 lbs. of 

 dry apple contain 8.37 lbs. of albumen, and an equal 

 weight of dry tubers has 1| lbs. 100 lbs. of fresh 

 fruit contain of casein, 0.16 of a lb.; and an equal 

 weight of fresh tubers, 0.45 of a lb. Hence it will be 

 observed that 100 lbs. of fresh apple contain of albu- 

 men and casein, 1.54 lbs.; and the same quantity of 

 fresh potato, 0.7 of a lb. 



From the above itv.-ill be seen that in albumen the 

 apple is richer than the potito while, in casein the 

 reverse is the case — that the aggregate amount of 

 albumen, casein, and gluten, in good varieties of the 

 appl(* is more than double that of the same bodies 

 in the potato. Hence, the former may be regarded 

 richer than the latter in those bodies which strictly 

 nourish the system ; or, in other words, to form 

 muscle, brain, nerve, and in short, assist in building 

 up atid sustaining the organic part of all the tissues 

 of the body. 



The juice of the apple forms what was regarded 

 not long ago a favorite and almost necessary append- 

 age to the farmers stock of winter luxuries. It is 

 now, however, looked upon by him with comparative 

 indilTerance as a beverage, "he having found a far 

 better and more profitable use for his apples, that of 

 converting them into fat instead of alcohol. The 

 juice of the apple after being fermented, is called 

 cider, and contains much of the nutritive matter of 

 the fruit. Cider cantains alcohol, sugar, gum or 

 dextrine, malic acid and the pliosphates and sulphates 

 of the alkalies, with a little tannic and gallic acids. 

 The juice before being fermented, has in addition to 

 the above ingredients, albumen and casein." F. 



THE EXPERIENCE OF A YOtJNd FARMER. 



Messrs. Editors ; — I have been brought up to the 

 occupation of farming in our poor way. My father 

 was a hard working man of good moral habits, and 

 was called a very observing man, but rather preju- 

 diced against what he termed '-book farming." He 

 said he thought any intelligent fanner knew better 

 how to till his own soil than a man who had never 

 seen it could tell him, as different soils required dif- 

 ferent management, and more than one-half of those 

 who wrote on the subject had no practical knowledge 

 of farming whatever. Uut of late I have taken^a 

 little different view of the subject, especially since I 

 have become a subscriber to the Genesee Farmer. 

 I had to commence for myself with a very limited 

 education and small capital, have had to dig for the 

 support of a large family, and consequently my op- 

 portunities for reading have likewise been limited. 

 I think, however, that there is some improvement in 

 agricultural works as well as practical knowledge : 

 and your idea of urging every one to communicate 

 every item of practical knowledge which he thinks 

 is not universally known and practiced, I like first 

 rate. But I know that I am very far behind the 

 times, and feel very reluctant to expose my igno- 

 rance, especially to the editor of a periodical'as well 

 patronized and widely circulated as yours. 



I think I have some little practical knowledge in 

 the use of plaster ; but what should I have known 

 had I not been told ? I commenced experimenting 

 on a small scale some si,xteen years ago, plaster at 

 that time coming rather high, viz : 



