310 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 21, 1860. 
of maturity, the malic acid disappears, its place being ta 1 en by 
more fully developed pectine and sugar. Oth er reactions appear 
to be due to the decomposition of the acid constituents of the 
fruit. 
“ Eremy has shown that the origin of the pectin of tl e fruit 
is to be found in a body having a great analogy to Iignine or 
cellulose, and which he terms pectose; when this is boiled it 
changes into pectine, and this change naturally takes place in 
the fruit under the influence of a natural ferment, pectase, which 
is analogous to diastase. This by its further action ctnverts 
the pectine into pectic acid, or into other derived acids which 
resemble it in properties, and only differ in constitution by the 
abstraction or addition of the element of water. The pectic 
fermentation being like the lactic, unaccompanied by the evolution 
or absorption of any gas. Eremy found the formula of j ectine 
to be C64 His Ooi, and that of metapectine C64 H 46 Oct, in his 
new researches. The pectine of the ripe fruit, therefore, has no 
relation either to the starch or to the acid the unripe fruit con¬ 
tained. 
“ The sugar of the ripe fruit is derived, according to all appear¬ 
ance, from the starch which the green fruit contains; either by 
the pectase ferment, or by the contact of the organic acid, the 
saccharine fermentation is induced, and Grape sugar, which is 
the sugar of fruits, is generated. It is not known whether the 
tartaric acid is first secreted as such by the plant, or whether it 
arises from the decomposition of any previously existing body, 
but it is easy to see how the malic acid is formed from it. Thus, 
malic acid, C 3 H 4 08, may be produced by the direct abstraction 
of oxygen from the tartaric acid, Cs lit O 10 , or, at those periods 
when the reverse action takes place and carbonic acid is given 
off, six atoms of tartaric acid, C 48 H 24 060, may produce five atoms 
of malic acid, C 10 II 20 O 40 , with eight atoms of carbonic acid 
CS Oig, and four of water, H; O 4 .”—( Elements of Chemistry.) 
We know from the experiments of Berard that, when unripe 
fruits are plucked, they do not ripen if excluded from the access 
of oxygen gas ; but that in the air they ripen, absorbing oxygen 
at the same time, and giving off carbonic acid. 
During the ripening of the fruit, the woody or cellular fibre it 
contains gradually diminishes, and is converted into sugar. This 
is familiarly noticed in some species of hard or winter Pears. In 
sour fruit, the cellular fibre seldom exceeds 2| per cent, of their 
whole weight; in ripe fruits, however, it is still less, and as the 
constitution of this substance is so analogous to that of Grape 
sugar, there is no difficulty in understanding that it may be 
readily converted into the latter, through the agency, probably, 
of the protein compounds which are present in the fruits. 
The relative proportions of sugar, gum, cellular fibre, acid, &c\, 
in the Peach at three stages of its growth were found to be as 
follows :— 
Unripe. Riper. Fully ripe. 
Sugar . trace ... 6'64 ... 16-48 per cent. 
Gum. 4-10 ... 4-47 ... 5-12 „ 
Cellular . 3-61 ... 2-53 ... 1-86 
Malic acid . 2 70 ... 2-03 ... 1-80 „ 
Vegetable albumen... 0’76 ... 0'34 ... 0-17 ,, 
Water . 89-39 ... 84-49 ... 74-87 
So that though in this fruit some of the acid and woody fibre 
had disappeared during the ripening , yet the greatest portion of 
the sugar contained in the ripe fruit had evidently been derived 
directly from the ordinary food of the plant.— ( Johnston's Agric. 
Chemistry .)—J. 
(To he continued .) 
CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW OF DAHLIAS AND 
OTHER CUT FLOWERS. 
We have received the schedule of the “ Grand Exhibit on of 
Dahlias, Cut Elowers of other descriptions, and Fruit, to be held 
at the Crystal Palace, on Wednesday and Thursday, September 
19th and 20th, 1860,” and the same may be had by all intending 
exhibitors, and should be sent for at once, to Mr. W. Houghton, 
Secretary to the Flower Shows, Crystal Palace, Sydenham. If 
any of our readers should show then for the first or second time, 
we seriously recommend them to see that the few indispensable 
rules about the classes in which to show, and other arrangements, 
should be observed on their part to the letter. Nothing can be 
done well without a system, without rules or bye-laws, or with¬ 
out adhering to them strictly. Everything about the Show seems 
to us to have been well arranged, and there is no lack of liberality 
about the number and value of the prizes. As witness the fol¬ 
lowing digest of them :— 
DIGEST OF SCHEDULES OF PRIZES. 
Dahlias are to be exhibited in classes of 50, 24, and 12 ; the 
latter to consist of fancy kinds, and nurserymen and amateurs 
may compete in any of the three classes. There are three other 
classes for amateurs only, consisting of 24 blooms, 12 blooms, 
and a fancy class also of 12 blooms. The amount of prizes for 
these six classes is £66—that is, £36 for the three classes in which 
all may compete, and £30 for the three classes reserved for 
amateurs. The prizes range from £7 to 10s. 
Asters are in two classes, as German and French, and 24 
blooms in each class. The prizes are £6 10s., or £3 5s. for each, 
and both are open for all growers to compete. 
Doses are in three classes, one of 36 kinds, in three trusses of 
each, and two of 24 kinds, each in single blooms. One of the 
latter is reserved for amateurs, the other two are open to all. The 
amount of prizes is £13 15s., ranging from £3 to 10s. 
Hollyhocks are to be in single blooms only, in two classes, one 
of 24 blooms, open to all; and one of 12 blooms, for amateurs ; 
£3 15s. is the amount of prizes. 
1'erhenas are in one class of 24 kinds, and 5 trusses of each, 
open to all growers; 20s. for the first, 15s. to the second, and 
10s. to the tliird best. 
Gladioluses, in one collection, not limited to number, and open 
to all growers. 
Phloxes, also in one collection of 18 kinds, open to all. 
FRUIT. 
The prizes for fruit are on the same liberal scale as on former 
occasions, and no distinction is made between fruiterers, market- 
gardeners, and amateurs. 
Messrs. Arthur Henderson, and Co., Pine Apple Place, Edge- 
ware Road, offer a prize of five guineas, and a prize of three 
guineas, for the best and next best dish of Snow's Muscat Ham¬ 
burgh Grape. In all cases a dish of Grapes to consist of three 
bunches. The Judges have power to give extra prizes, and to 
withhold a prize, or lower the amount for the prize offered, 
according to their own estimate of the merits of the subject. 
Altogether the Exhibition seems to us to deserve the utmost 
success. 
A LESSOH FOR “JOE.” 
If our correspondent “ Joe ” really feels himself to be a novice, 
but resolves to improve himself by perseverance, then we have no 
doubt he will ultimately succeed ; but if this novicism to every¬ 
thing but eating is a mere pretence, by which he would conceal 
from others as well as hide from himself a great amount of 
personal conceit and self-esteem, then we prophesy that his success 
will be slow, and his ultimate rising to eminence a great uncer¬ 
tainty. Let him test himself and act accordingly. No man yet 
ever valued or strove after knowledge until he felt his own igno¬ 
rance and defic-iences. If “Joe’s” description of himself is 
really correct, then we say, Go on and prosper. If self-consequence 
lurks under the pretended ignorance, no wishes of ours will really 
make him prosper. Hoping that the first is the case, the first 
advice we have to give to “ Joe ” is to sacrifice almost every 
other pleasure—even that of eating much, if a full stomach will 
interfere with our recommendation—and that is, that he leaves 
no means untried, at home or at evening-school, to learn to write 
neatly, and, above all, to spell correctly. In the short letter 
there are about a score of inaccuracies. We do not go so high 
as some anent the education of gardeners; but surely in these 
days every young gardener ought to be able to read and write his 
mother tongue. Secondly, we would advise “ Joe ” to act as if 
he felt that his master can do without him much better than he 
can do without his master ; and if he w-ants information, to ask 
for it in a respectful deferential way. We may be wrong, but 
unless the numbering referred to be a secret for keeping certain 
things to bis own knowledge, and in which it might not be wise 
to trust second parties, we must say that gardeners as a class 
are much freer in communicating what they know than any other 
class of men that ever I happened to be acquainted with. Only 
ask your neighbour Quilldriver a few trifling questions, and ere 
long you will have a note enclosing ever so many ■ 6s. Sd. for 
consultation fees ; whilst the same worthy, if he gets hold of you, 
will pretty well turn you inside out, just as if he had a perfect 
