96 Retrospective Criticism. 



matter is separated from them ; tlie remainder of their substance being 

 wonderfully condensed, and as hard as the marc from the wine-press. Then 

 let it be rammed hard into carefully-glazed airtight jars (or tin cases, if pre- 

 ferred), and boiled as in the case of bottled gooseberries. If jars are used, 

 they may be sufficiently secured by having two pieces of bladder tied suc- 

 cessively over them ; when the air within them is absorbed by heating the 

 enclosed substance, their surface becomes concave by the pressure of the 

 atmosphere ; and, as long as it remains in this state, the matter within is 

 safe. If it should be thought requisite to f)reserve the flavour of the vege- 

 tables entire, an extract should be made from the expressed liquid, and added 

 to the marc. But spinach, cabbage, and many other vegetables, have abun- 

 dance of flavour in them in their dry state, without this addition. The pre- 

 paration of the vegetable matter for use is accomplished by adding a sufficient 

 quantity of milk, water, gravy, lime-juice, &c., to the marc, and warming it 

 up. Let the Government, and the dealers in ships' provisions, look to this ; 

 a sufficient quantity of this vegetable preparation would be the greatest 

 luxury to a ship's crew, and render the scurvy utterly obsolete. It is 

 worthy of remark, that the most irritable stomach is not offended by 

 vegetables treated in this way. (Quai\ Jour., Oct. 1S27.) 



Preserving Grajjes. — I do not like the method of preserving grapes recom- 

 mended by several of your correspondents. Olivier de Serres says, gather 

 them when fully ripe, and on a warm day when they are perfectly dry, and hang 

 them in a dry, well-aired room ; those which have long berries wide apart, 

 are the best sorts for this purpose. The)' will shrink ; but to lessen this, sus- 

 pend them in osier baskets, and drop in among them, loosely, dry vine-leaves. 

 Another mode is, to suspend bunches of grapes in a cask, so as they may not 

 touch each other, and then pour in dry corn, or other small seeds. O. de 

 Serres recommends millet, but clover-seed or turnip-seed would, doubtless, 

 answer just as well. By this means, he says, the grapes are preserved cool, 

 fresh, and entire, and may be used in the dessert, daily, till Easter, and later. 

 The above was pubhshed in the first year of the 17th century ; Deyeux, an 

 annotator on it, in 1804, observes that it is perfectly correct, adding, that the 

 basket ought to be examined from time to time, in order to remove any de- 

 caying berries : and, in order that the same thing may be effected where 

 grapes are preserved in a barrel, or box of grain or seeds, a hole with a plug 

 is made in the bottom ; and the box being suspended, the plug is withdrawn 

 occasionally, all the grain or seeds allowed to run out, the top of the box 

 removed ; the system of twigs on which the grapes are suspended is then 

 taken out, and any decayed berries removed ; they are afterwards replaced, 

 and the grain or seeds, being dried., are again poured in to fill the interstices. 

 With these precautions, M. Deyeux assures us, grapes may be preserved [)er- 

 fectly fresh for several months. I should recommend a trial to my brother- 

 gardeners who have a cool dry cellar in which to place the box. I may 

 add, that a similar system is employed for packing and preserving the grapes 

 sent from Spain and Portugal to this country, and sold in the fruit-shops 

 during the winter and spring. — T. B. Bristol, Aug. 10. 



Vines in the ojjen Air. — Mr. Salisbury's management, besides being 

 found in Hale's Statics, is twice mentioned in Weston's Tracts on Gar- 

 dening; and, ten years ago, I apprised him, through a relation of mine, 

 that his was no new discovery, pointing out where he might find it men- 

 tioned; and moreover telling him, that I myself had followed it for years 

 without ever observing the result attributed to it. My method of manag- 

 ing the grape vine on open walls is as follows : as soon as the fruit is ga- 

 thered from a tree, or even a single branch, I immediately cut off the leav°es, 

 and, if necessary, prune it for the next year ; as by careful attention in stop- 

 pmg the shoot at a proper length, it will need but little pruning, except 

 only removing old or useless parts. This early pruning, in my° opinion, 

 assists to ripen the wood, without which no great crop can be expected; 



