AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 363 



want more liglit, and came here to look for it. I apprehend that 

 preserving fruits in vacuum will never be successfully practiced 

 among the common people. A community that do not make 

 half their butter good are not likely to be successful in putting up 

 fruit in this way. They have not the experience of Wells k Pre- 

 vost, and I should be surprised if people generally save half that 

 they put up. The operation is a delicate one. People don't 

 know how, and, generally speaking, cannot learn the art from 

 any written description. The subject of preserving fruits is one 

 of the most important that we can discuss. 



Dr. Waterbury — I want to say a word before this subject is 

 dropped, I don't like to have such notions go out to the world. 

 The air must not only be exhausted, but the fruit must undergo 

 heat enough to perfectly cook the albumen, and then must be 

 hermetically sealed. It cannot be kept in any other way. 



Paul Stillman said that he thought the patentees of these cans 

 had done the public a great favor by their efforts to introduce 

 preserved fruit into general use. He confirmed the idea that the 

 albumen must be cooked, and the air driven out and kept out. 



Mr. Judd thought the day had been nearly exhausted in dis- 

 cussing the merits of one or two varieties of cans, and in a few 

 general statements. The great mass of farmers will continue the 

 old way, and our object should be to draw out from practical men 

 hints in regard to the best method of putting up fruit in common 

 jars. How much boiling was wanted, how much sugar used, 

 how ripe the fruit should be, in what part of the house should it 

 be kept, how should fruit be dried; by the sun or by steam, or in 

 ovensi These and other such like questions should be discussed. 

 Then, again, the question embraced vegetables as well as fruits. 

 How is it best to keep beans, green corn, potatoes, turnips, &c.; 

 as, for example, should potatoes be packed away with all the 

 loose soil upon them, or be washed? He proposed that a special 

 meeting to further discuss the question of " Preserving Fruit and 

 Vegetables," should be held on Tuesday, Sept. 26th, at which 

 this should be the only subject introduced. He was pleased to 

 see a lady among the attendants to-day, and proposed to invite 

 ladies generally to attend the next meeting. Both of tliesc pro- 

 positions were unanimously adopted. The next regular meeting 

 will occur during the Fair of the Institute, and will be held in 

 the Crystal Palace. 



Solon Robinson— What we want is not how fruit may be sealed 

 up in quart cans to be preserved for the use of the few, but it is 



