METHODS OF FRUIT PRESERVING. 



563 



and by other means, and the small proprietorships in Germany are very 

 favourable to planting. 



One of the methods most favoured by the Germans for fruit culture, 

 as for everything else, is technical instruction. There are the special 

 Horticultural Schools for women at Godesberg near Bonn, at Marienfelder 

 near Berlin, and at the Schwetzingen, Hofgarten, near Heidelberg. The 

 last-named is intended for the daughters of farmers. They also have 

 special Fruit Institutes and Schools at Frankfurt, Mayence, Worms, 

 Geisenheim, and elsewhere. 



The school at Geisenheim is among the best of its class in Europe. 

 The State subsidises this institution largely, and the students pay about 

 £20 a year, including board and lodging. The three main divisions of 

 work and instruction are : Flower (and ornamental) gardens ; fruit-culture 

 and disposal of produce ; vines and wines. 



Considerable time is devoted to scientific subjects, such as physiology, 

 botany, entomology, chemistry, and similar sciences. 



The buildings include : Central Office with Laboratory ; Students' 

 Quarters, with class and recreation rooms ; Fruit-preserving and model 

 and class rooms ; Fruit-storage room (a detached building) and fruit- 

 storage cellars. 



The three sections have separate heads, who are individually respon- 

 sible to the Director for the practice and theory of their several depart- 

 ments. The School, moreover, issues a bulletin of information, mostly 

 derived from observations made in the gardens thereof. 



The building equipped as a Fruit-preserving room above mentioned 

 has a vertical boiler, a lecture room, and another room for cutting, peeling; 

 stoning, and otherwise preparing fruit, with all the best German and 

 American machines therefor, " Invicta " and " Gnom " fruit-dryers (for 

 commercial and household use), a set of steam-jacketed copper pans for 

 boiling, fruit-presses, tin-closers, and pulping machines. 



At this valuable station two courses of one week each are held early 

 every autumn on the subject of the Utilisation of Fruit. The first is for 

 school teachers and other men interested in the methods of treating the 

 fruit ; and the second is for women, and deals with the utilisation of fruit 

 (and vegetables) from a household standpoint. In order to become more 

 practically acquainted with the German methods, I attended the autumn 

 course last year in company with about thirty Germans. The fees to 

 non-Prussians are only 9s. (Prussians 4,5.) for a full week's instruction in 

 gathering, grading, storing, packing, preparing, drying, bottling fruit, and 

 the making of marmalades, fruit-pulps, pastes, juices, and wine. 



Preparing the Fruit. 



There are a number of machines which by the simple turn of a handle 

 core and pare Apples and cut them into a spiral, which, being divided 

 through one half, forms rings. The figures of the typical machines 

 show the usual form of the machines which stand on the table. In 

 two cases the Apple is fixed on a rod, and as this revolves the skinning 

 and ringing are performed by two knives kept in position by springs, and 

 the core is gouged out automatically. In the case of the other two 



