ii8 



WINDFALLS. 



ing opinions before the last meeting of the Michigan 

 Horticultural Society : 



S. H. Comings : It makes all the difference in the 

 world with cranberries. In New Jersey it has been 

 noted that they rotted quickly when from the soil of one 

 side of a ditch, but kept long when from the different soil 

 of the other side. 



Wm. V. Green : Grapes from heavy, strong soil keep 

 better than those from light soil, and it is the same way 

 with apples. 



R. Morrill : It is generally understood that all fruits 

 on clay soil keep better than the same grown on light 

 soil. Tliey "stand up" better in marketing. But they 

 are not necessarily of better quality. 



J. N. Stearns : Their quality is much better when 

 grown on sandy soil. 



E. H. Scott: This is only because, with the later 

 fruits, our usually short seasons prevent them from fully 

 ripening upon clay. 



Mr. Stearns : Grapes on sandy soil are a finer quality 

 — more sugary — when not highly fertilized with stable 

 manure than when they are so fertilized. 



A. C. Gliden remarked upon the superior quality of 

 the grapes grown at Lawton, where they are upon warm, 

 sandy soil of high lands. 



Professor L. R. Taft : There is a difference, too, in 

 quality of grapes grown upon the same general kind of 

 soil. Addition of potash to any soil will double the 

 amount of sugar in grapes. 



S. M. Pearsall: Perhaps the slower growth of fruits 

 on heavy soil gives them their superior keeping qualities. 



L. B. Rice ; Western New York apples are celebrated 

 as long keepers, and the best of them are grown on 

 sandy or gravelly soil. 



Henderson Apple. — This apple was exhibited at the 

 recent fruit growers' meeting in Ontario, and although 

 a fair sample as to quality and appearance, was not of 

 the best shape, as it was nearly the last one of the sea- 

 son. It is highly colored, medium in size, and a winter 

 apple which under good conditions would keep well un- 

 til February. The ground color is a rich cream, beau- 

 tifully splashed with scarlet, while the side towards the 

 sun shows a blush of the deepest shade of crimson. In 

 appearance it is much more showy than the Baldwin, 

 and seems to be solid enough to make a good shipper. 

 The tree is yet young but promises to be a free yielder, 

 and should it continue in its good promises it will be 

 largely propagated and win a large field for itself. As 

 to quality, without exaggeration it may be said to merit 

 a place among our finest winter dessert fruits. The 

 flesh is snow-white, tender, juicy, with a delicate aro- 

 ni itic flavor. — Praii-.e Fij niter. 



The Arkansas, or Arkansas Black Apple. — From 

 all the information 1' have been able to obtain, I am 

 satisfied this fruit originated in Washington county, 

 Arkansas. John Crawford, in a letter to me, states 

 that the original tree is still living on his place and bear- 

 ing : that the tree was planted from seeds forty-seven 

 years ago, and from that tree this lot was produced. I 



am aware Tennessee claims the honor of having origi- 

 nated that fruit, but that fact, for the reasons stated 

 above, I do not admit. It may be possible the variety 

 was produced from the same parentage in both sections, 

 so nearly alike as to make it difficult to distinguish them. 

 The parentage of the Arkansas is apparently the Wine- 

 sap. I exhibited this apple at New Orleans under the 

 above name, which I still retain. It is a very strong 

 grower; productive. — E. F. Babcock, in Prairie Fanner. 



Prunes in France and in California. — Prunes are 

 said to have been introduced into France by the Cru- 

 saders, and to have been first cultivated by the inmates 

 of a convent near Clairac, The plum tree is profitably 

 cultivated in several of the departments, and grows well 

 in any situation that is favorable to grapes. The fruit 

 when ripe is covered with a "flower," which adds much 

 to its value. It is usually gathered, after the night- 

 damps have dried away, by shaking lightly from the 

 tree, and only such as falls readily is taken. It is then 

 put in a building, where it matures completely. Prunes 

 are subjected to three or four cookings before they are 

 ready for the market— two for the evaporation of the 

 contained water, and the others for drying and giving a 

 peculiar brilliancy to the product. In Provence the 

 freshly gathered fruit is plunged into pots of boiling 

 water, where it remains till the water again comes to 

 the boiling-point. It is then shaken in baskets till cool, 

 and dried in the sun on trays At Digne the fruits are 

 peeled with the nails and strung on sticks in such a way 

 as not to touch, and then are stuck into straw frames 

 and exposed to the sun till the prunes easily detach 

 themselves from the stick. ' The pit is then removed, 

 and the fruit is placed upon trays exposed to the sun. 

 In some other districts the prunes are dried in immense 

 ovens. The first cooking of the fruit should be at a 

 temperature not exceeding 50°, the second 70'' C, while 

 the third may be performed at 80° or 90°, or occasion- 

 ally 100° C. A well-cooked prune is dark purple, has a 

 solid and brilliant surface, is malleable and elastic to 

 the touch, with the kernel well done and intact in the 

 shell. When these conditions are not fulfilled, the 

 kernel ferments, and the prune becomes moldy and 

 worthless. Bordeaux is the principal center of the prune 

 industry, and has a trade that is increasing. — Popular 

 Science Monilily. 



The California method of drying prunes produces a 

 lighter colored fruit than that dried by the French 

 method, but gives a more highly flavored product. The 

 natural color is better preserved. Both systems are 

 used in this state ; a prune which cannot be distinguished 

 from the French article can be made. The steam-heat 

 process and cooked-fruit flavor does not seem, to the 

 best growers, desirable, nor demanded by the public. 

 W. H. Aiken, of Wrights, one of the best prune-growers 

 of the state, says that the fruit should be ripe enough to 

 fall easily. Dip into lioiling mixture of one pound lye 

 to ten gallons of water, and so scald and crack the skins. 

 Dip in cold water and put on trays in the sun. When 

 dry but not hard, put in covered bins to "sweat." Dip 



