8 



THE CANADIAN H0BTI0ULTUBI8T. 



eat it daily, and even on occasions to 

 make a meal almost entirely of it. 

 Another cause why ripe and whole- 

 some fruits are given a bad name is 

 because they are eaten at the wrong 

 end of a meal. After many courses 

 of heavy foods and strong drinks a few 

 harmless strawberries are indulged in, 

 and then when these rich foods and 

 stimulating drinks upset the stomach 

 the blame is put on the innocent straw- 

 berry. 



Many people — a good number of 

 whom are doctors — are of opinion that 

 autumnal diarrhoea is due to frnit. This 

 is an idea not borne out by facts. I in- 

 quired into the subject, and found that 

 in every case the diarrhoea was due to 

 meat or fish, but never to fruit alone. 

 The true explanation of autumnal diar- 

 rhoea lies in the fact that in hot weather 

 flesh putrifies very quickly, during pu- 

 trefaction alkaloids called ptomaines are 

 formed ; these are emetic and purgative, 

 and give rise to distressing symptoms. 

 These alkaloids are found in meat at 

 all times, but more especially during 

 hot weather. 



Fruit has the composition of a per- 

 fect food, containing all the substances 

 required by the body. Here is the com- 

 position of strawberries : 



Per cent. 



Water 87 



Sugar 4 



Free Acid 1^ 



Nitrogen 0| 



Insoluble matter (^ per cent, of which 



is ash) 7 



100 



From this table we can see that fruit 

 is a perfect food, as it contains every- 

 thing needed, including water. 



Were fruits used daily by all there 

 would be less gout, rheumatism, gall 

 stones, stone in the bladder, and cal- 

 careous degeneration than there is now. 

 In connection with the curative power 

 of fruit, we must mention the 



"GRAPE CURE. 



This is practiced in France and 

 Germany in the autumn, and is a cure 

 for many diseases due to high feeding. 

 The patient is given a pound of grapes 

 to eat the fii'st day. This amount is 

 added to until the person can eat five 

 or six pounds a day. The other food is 

 gradually lessened, and the diet at last 

 consists entirely of grapes. It cures 

 obesity and many other complaints, and 

 starts the person off on a new lease of 

 life. Fruit is thus seen to be a neces- 

 sity in a rational diet, and of immense 

 value in dietetic medicine. — Vick's 

 Magazine /or October. 



NOTES TO NEW BEGINNERS. 



BT PETER PRUNING KNIFE. 



Knowing that there are numerous 

 new beginners in fruit culture who are 

 sprouting out with large and erroneous 

 ideas and expectations of amassing a 

 fortune in a few short hours, I have 

 considered it my duty to sharpen up 

 and try and lop off some of the surplus 

 sprouts which, I fear, may overshadow 

 their prospects of success — and perhaps 

 blight their crops : — and if I can let the 

 light of thirty years of experience shine 

 in upon them in any way, even though 

 it may not help to ripen up their fruit, 

 it may save them from some sore dis- 

 appointments and losses which I have 

 encountered. 



ONE GREAT ERROR 



among new beginners, especially among 

 those that come out of towns and cities 

 to get rich in fruit growing, is to think 

 that any soil in a fruit-growing section, 

 like Grimsby or Niagara, for instance, 

 will produce fruit ; and not a few have 

 bought land in these localities that was 

 much better adapted to growing frogs 

 and making brick than to fruit grow- 

 ing, and after a few years' experience 

 have become disgusted with the busi- 

 ness and say it does not pay. 



