194 Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



Sometimes the sections are first flattened out by running' 

 them through a clothes wringer or a siuiilar pair of rollers. 

 After a layer is thus formed over the bottom, a frame of 

 the proper dimensions is placed upon the box, to tempo- 

 rarily increase its depth, when the amount of fruit the box 

 is to contain is poured in, and pressure is applied until the 

 bottom can be nailed on. The box is then inverted and 

 branded or labeled on the faced side. 



Dried fruit is also sometimes packed in cotton sacks. 

 These cost less than boxes, which is perhaps the only ar- 

 gument in their favor. 



, 300. Preserving fruits by canning:. Fruit for canning 

 should be of good quality and well ripened. It may be 

 placed in the can either before or after boiling. In the 

 former case the greater part of the boiling is performed 

 before sealing, enough being given after sealing to insure 

 the destruction of any spores that may have entered dur- 

 ing the sealing process. In the latter case, the cans, hav- 

 ing been first treated to boiling water to. destroy any ad- 

 hering spores, are filled with the boiling-hot fruit, and 

 sealed at once. 



Canned fruit can only spoil from imperfect sealing, from 

 boiling an insufficient time to destroy all spores of bacteria, 

 or from insufficient exposure to heat after sealing. Sugar 

 or syrup is not essential to the keeping of canned fruit. In 

 point of economy, the sweetening might wisely be de- 

 ferred until the time of serving, since a part of the sugar 

 is changed to glucose if cooked with the fruit. This de- 

 tracts from its sweetening power. Many prefer, however, 

 to add the sugar or syrup wholly or in part before cook- 

 ing, as the flavor of the product is thereby improved. 



Alum is sometimes used in canning fruit to prevent 



