1906.] 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



759 



of water in dried fruit is, however, due to the fact that they 

 re-absorb a certain quantity of water from the atmosphere when 

 they have been rendered very dry. 



Pears are best treated when half-ripe, as they thus dry easiest 

 and produce the largest quantity of the prepared product. 

 Fully ripe pears, which are consequently very full of juice, dry 

 slowly and with difficulty. Most varieties of dessert pears are 

 not suited for drying, and cooking pears yield the best result. 

 To produce a very fine product, the pears are thrown into 

 spring water when peeled, quartered, and the core removed, and 

 then steamed at a high temperature for eight to ten minutes. 

 The original moisture of the fruit is thus more easily evaporated. 

 Whole pears require seven to nine hours, halved and quartered 

 five to seven hours. 



The best varieties of plums for drying are those of which the 

 fruit is large, with a good percentage of sugar and rich in 

 aroma. Other varieties are not so suitable for the purpose on 

 account of their acidity, and give an unattractive brown pro- 

 duct. Mirabelles dry in six to eight hours, and both look and 

 cook well ; 30 lb. of dried fruit can be got from 100 lb. of the 

 fresh. Plums should never be dried too much, as they then lose 

 much of their aroma, and the final product is of less weight. 

 The large egg-shaped plums should be steamed for about six 

 minutes before drying, which should then occupy eight to 

 twelve hours. 



Soil Inoculation. — In connection with the previous articles 

 which have appeared in this Journal* on the subject of soil 

 inoculation, it is interesting to notice that 



MiSC Not a es e ° US the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture state in a recent publicationf that 

 the method of distributing practically pure cultures of nitrogen- 

 fixing bacteria dried on cotton has not proved entirely satis- 

 factory, owing to varying conditions of air during transit and to 

 certain matters connected with laboratory technique. Investi- 

 gations have been proceeding for some time with a view to 

 improving the methods followed, and as a result the Depart- 



* Journal, Vol. XL, p. 348, Sept., 1904; p. 669, Feb., 1905 ; p. 725, March, 

 1905 ; and Vol. XII., p. 282, Aug., 1905 ; p. 641, Feb., 1906. 

 •f- Farmers' Bulletin, No. 240. 



