CHAP. IX. 
FRUIT. 
355 
Apricots 
“ Water before 
ripeness. 
89-39 
Water at 
ripeness. 
74-87 
Currants 
. 86-41 
81-10 
Duke Cherries 
88-28 
74-85 
Green Gages . 
. 74-87 
71-10 
Melting Peaches . 
90-31 
80-24 
Jargonelle Pears 
. 86-28 
83-88 
“ This diminution appears to depend in part upon the fruit 
absorbing less water as it approaches maturity, and in part 
upon the combination with its tissue of a portion of the water 
it has received. Sugar, on the contrary, appears to be con- 
tinually on the increase, as indeed the taste would tell us ; 
thus we find, per cent, — 
“ Green. 
Ripe. 
Apricots (a trace when young, I 
afterwards) . . J 
6-64 
16-48 
Red Currants . . . . 
0-52 
6-24 
Duke Cherries 
1-12 
18-12 
Green Gage Plums 
17-71 
24-81 
Melting Peaches 
0-63 
11-61 
Jargonelle Pears 
6-45 
11-52 
This sugar is sometimes in a state 
more or 
less concrete. 
as in the Grape, the Fig, and the Peach; sometimes in a 
liquid state. It seems to be formed at the expense of other 
matters, the proportion of which diminishes. Thus the quan- 
of lignine per cent is found — 
“ Green. 
Ripe. 
Apricots .... 
3-61 
1-86 
Currants (including the seeds) 
. 8-45 
8*01 
Duke Cherries 
2-44 
1-12 
Green Gage Plums 
. 1-26 
1-11 
Melting Peaches 
3-01 
1-21 
Jargonelle Pears . 
. 3-8 
2-19 
“ It is possible, indeed, that the lignine formed in the green 
fruit does not in reality diminish, but that the dilatation of 
the cellular tissue, and consequently the augmentation of the 
aqueous products, render it proportionably less, without its 
being absolutely so. But the gummy, mucilaginous, or gela- 
tinous matters, appear very susceptible of changing into sugar; 
A A 2 
