CHAPTER IV. 



THE CHARACTER AND TRAINING OE THE APPLE. 



The Pear is a very delicious fruit, but the Apple pos- 

 sesses some advantages over it. "Whilst the Pear is 

 prized for its richness, the Apple is held in high esteem 

 for its accommodating properties to various purposes, 

 times, and seasons. There are what may be called 

 three classes of Apples, and each of these possesses some 

 peculiar virtue of its own. First, there is the real 

 sauce or jelly Apple, a most useful class ; secondly, 

 there is the dessert or eating Apple ; and lastly, there is 

 the cider Apple. This last is often substituted for the 

 first, but there is a considerable difference in the quality 

 of these two classes. 



It will be found on trial that the real cider Apple pos- 

 sesses more juice than the real garden sauce Apple, but 

 it contains considerably less sugar than the sauce Apple, 

 or at least there is more insipid juice. I discovered the 

 difference immediately when I first tasted a tart or 

 pudding made with the Devonshire cider Apple. in- 

 very best garden sauce Apples will not make cider, 

 because they do not contain fluid or juice enough, and 

 the juice is not much in advance of dirty water when 

 first pressed out of the fruit either as regards appear- 

 ance or flavour ; and though our best garden sauce 

 Apple possesses juice enough for tarts, jams, &c, it has 

 not enough for cider-making. 



Next comes the dessert or eating Apple, and this class 

 is superior in flavour to either of the others. It may 

 be cooked, but it will not answer for sauce or jams, nor 



