FRUITS. CHAP. 



rants, are sometimes made use of, with the assistance of 

 sugar, to make wine, and, in America, where strength is 

 A great requisite, to make brandy; that is to say, a 

 parcel of brandy and sugar is put amongst the juice of 

 the raspberries : these things I, for my part, totally dis- 

 approve of : that which we call currant wine, is neither 

 more nor less than red-looking weak rum. The strength 

 coming from the sugar -, and gooseberry wine is a thing 

 of the same character, and, if the fruit were of no other 

 use than this, one might wish them to be extirpated. . 9 

 People deceive themselves. The thing is called wine ; 

 but it is rum : that is to say, an extract from sugar. 



283. SERVICE. A tree of the woods, where it bears 



a thing between a sloe and a haw. It is totally unfit to \ 

 be eaten ; and, therefore, I shall say no more about it. 



284. STRAWBERRY. Very different from the last 

 article ! This is a fruit, exceeded in no one respect (ex- 

 cept that of keeping) but by very few ; and surpassing a 

 very great majority of the fruits of this country. It is 

 so well known, that to describe either plant or fruit 

 would be almost an insult to the reader. I shall, there- 

 fore, have to speak only of the different sorts, and to . 

 describe the manner of propagating and cultivating the 

 plants, so as to insure, or, at least, give the best chance 

 of, fine fruit and large crops, no man ever having found 

 that he had too much of this excellent fruit. Strawberry 

 plants are raised in the following manner : the plant, 

 while it is bearing, sends forth runners along upon the 

 ground: these runners have several joints, and, at every 

 joint, there comes out a root which penetrates down into 

 the ground. Each of these roots sends up a plant ; so that 



