QUALITIES OF FRUIT. 15 



a wholesale charge against fruit, to condemn it utterly. Two 

 oranges eaten by me at once, when a boy, — peel and all, — 

 gave me such a surfeit of that fruit, that, for a long time, I 

 remained very shy of it. 



As some persons take fruit in the morning, others at even- 

 ing, some before and some after meals, and some at intervals, 

 and others almost continuously, and these regular fruit-eaters 

 do this, not only without inconvenience, but evidently with 

 enjoyment and benefit, it would be id e to advise about the 

 proper time and manner o'' eating fruit; individual habits 

 and preferences will control, and must be allowed to have 

 their rights. 



The varieties and condition of the fruit have more to do 

 with its healthfulness than the hour of the day, and the old 

 proverb of fruit, "gold in the morning, silver at noon, and 

 lead at night," must be laid up for use with many others, only 

 when it fits our case. 



With only the old Orange or Sugar pear for summer, and 

 Choke pear for autumn, it is no wonder that pears had a 

 reputation of less healthfulness than other fruits, from which 

 they have not entirely recovered. Again, their period of 

 perfection is so rapidly passed, — bad when green, luscious, 

 melting and refreshing when just ripe, but cloying and dis- 

 turbing when past this point of perfect maturity, much 

 worse than when unripe, — this bad reputation attaches to the 

 whole family of pears, and even stains the whole catalogue 

 of fruits. 



Again, with the apples — the tender, melting Fameuse, or 

 Snow apple, with its mild subacid juice, suits every stomach; 

 while a wilted, poorly ripened Spitzenberg is certainly no 

 more digestible than a raw turnip. The Yellow Bellflower 

 is an example in itself of the extremes of quality. Well 

 grown, upon a kindly soil and in a favorable season, it is one 

 of the most delicious and refreshing of apples, tender and 

 delicate in texture and flavor, its swol'en sides bursting with 

 juice. Poorly ripened, grown on neglected trees, it would 

 never be recognized by its best friends, whose acquaintance 

 with it was only when in prosperity. Even the swine refuse 

 it to the last in a mixed orchard, and would pass it as the 

 most unpromising wilding. 



