The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-09-11
From the New York Evening Post.
Nutrition of the strawberry.

ing the food Of plants which seem to conflict with
the conclusion OF the agricultural chemists. The
maxim has been laid down by them that any
plant or fruit must be supplied with manure con.
tanning the,ngredents which the plant or fruit ia
found on analysis to possess and that the manure
should contain these ingredients III the same pro
portions. RS nearly as may be.
We have room but for a portion Of DR. Hulls
report Of his experiments and the infcrences he
draws from theip. He observes that The oaly Of
ganic analysis he has at hand Of the fruit OF the
strawberry. be takes from German work, the
poilStand,1e Bibhothtk oGer Real Lericon. 1t
represents the strawberry fruit to be organcal-
y composed Of citric and naiie acids and
large proportion Of mucous sugar. shisimzuckey.
Professor Mapes Of this country, has aerted that
fannie acid ls an organic constituent of the straw
berry, but this has been denied, asd tsnnc acid is
not mentioned IN the German work. DR.. Hull
proceeds
Experimen. yih tdnnic dcids and other
h9uid.--l selected three rows OF each variety OF
four different kinds ofstrawberries, which traverse
my triple bed Of inorganic manure-, ind oade my
applications IN the suboined order The liquids
were applied from May 18th to June Esd, TWEEN.
" five times usually about sunset, the omissions
being supplied by rain.
RIVAL HUDSON
Tannic Rccid-in the form Of tan-bsrk liquor,
one gallon to one hundred of water.
, Critic scid-the expressed juice Of one lemon
to four gallons Of water
Malic acid-one pint Of cider to four gallons
of water
! June 22d The straw berries nourishe5 by tar.
nic acid exceeding the Others in quantity Tie
/ fruit Of the c,tr,c acid presented the largest
average size. hree dishes Of the islt we're sub.
jectsd to the Judgment Of two ladies who de.
clared The straw berries Of the maiie acid to be
| the sweetest and highest Favored, those Of the
t.nEic acid next and those Of the cItric acid
con paratiyely tart"
/ June 25,h Second picking A gentleman es
sayed the lEree kinds. ard hi taste awarded tle
| first preference to the fruit OF the fannie, the
second to that Of the mdiie aesd
/ BugRs NEW pISE.
Tannic cid-lhls and the subjoinsd acid,
were applied as described under Rva
r. Hudson
Citric acid.
| Mac acd
June 22d. The qnantity as with the previous
fruit, favored the tdr-ie acid The eitrie aeiC
fruit ranked second to quantity and fret as tC
average size. The same ladies' IN tasting this
fruit, again selected the mdls acid specimens ~
the richest favored, giving the second choice tC
those of the tannie acid
June 2tth The quantity again sustained The
tsnuIc acid, The same gentleman decided IN iayul
Of the tannic acid favor and preferred that o
the malc next
BURRs OLD SEEDING.
Tannic scid-one gallon Of tan liquid TO On;
hundred gallons Of water
3. ! Manure vater--ths manure liquid Uf The
! bamyard.
Spring watcr-vateF from, M adi AGENT pond
June 22d The measureuent, also Of lSi
! fruit gave the advantage in quantity to the tan
~" sc'A, iha second place 90 the spring water
The manure water produced the greatest number
Of the largest berries.
July Sd. 1hre. dishes Of fruit were submitted
TO the gu,tatory Judgment Of Dr. james Gilbert
Of Savannah, and Mr.. RvbesS Colgate, Of NeS
York The labels were purposely removed, anc
the trials were made at two different periods o
the Gav. Their final decision was, that th,
thrse specimens OF fruit exhibited a marked anC
peculiar flavor, sufficient to distinguish then
apart. that tdnnic acid examples were the mos
lUscious snd artificial those Of the spring wert
the next beat and mos, natural and those OF th,
manure water were, also more artificial but no
50 paiatable.'
Tsnnic scid-taL bar. liquid, diluted as be
described
Poudre;te water
Spring water
June 22d. The taRuic acid bed produced tn,
greatest quantity The spring water specimen
exceeded the others in size.
July 9Th. The fannie acid example again sur
passed the others IN quantity the poudrstte as
-umins the second position. Two gentlemen an,
q lady made trial Of this variety, aud pronouncet
~ favor Of those nourished by fannie dccid
Specimens. Of the above named varieties o
fruit have been sent 10 Mr. Downlng--the label
intentionally omtted-with desire that h,
would arol,rate on their respective claims. {
which he kindly assen,ed.
We ind % referring to our notes, made wit
Dr. Hulrs numbered samples OF Burrs New Pin
, and Rival Hudson before Us the following: y,
. highest and best fayrr No. ., good but in
ferior. No 3, less good-somewhat Sstery. Thes
now prove to have been fed IS follows: No !
tannic acid 2,ci,rc acid 2, ualic acid
p Ia the other samples we found the sample N,
1 |" (which now proves to have been stimulated b
lhe tan liquor uniformly the best The other
were variable, No, (.prng waterl having III
least flavor. and in case of CulumbuS--s sesrle
strawberry of not much hayot-,he FRS, va
rendered somewhat bitter, which IL now oIplAine
by the over watering. I'D.
The experiments being completed the orgaui
analysis may now be opporlunely recalled C,ri
and malic acids and mucus sugar are pre4ente
as the main constituents; and to supply the r,
uuircmeu,s Of the strawberry, according to ia
rule of Prof Emmons, these three o, the organi
substance. literally contributed, should be al
sufficient to mature the finest form ufirlt. Stil
5 Prof Maprs has presented the tanne acid a
another constituent In order to test this pred
| cate and the comparative powers of the Ctr
and malic acids, made the preeedn. sIper
; msuts with scrupuoes attention,
Citric acid d--Lemou Juice was tho moet cor
5 venicnt representative of this acid, and well d
D luted with water, exercised no deleterious IL
fluence on the plant or fruit In both instance
/. Of Rival Hudson, and Burrs New Pine, it SCENE
to increase the size of the fruit, and to increase Il
aeidity
: Mdlio acii--Th. most convenient substitut
r for the purs acid was cider, diluted with waite
= In referring 50 Rival Hudson, and Burrs Ne
!, Pine the trials Oi taste rendered preference 0
=. the part Of two witnesses for this acid Of anoth,
4 for the ,anuic, placing the malic second. Til
y reduces the contest to these two acids vhlc
Q may possibly contribute additional force to Ii
j. value of the ,annic, Thus, Instead Of pure mall
!, acid, cider was applied "Cidcr," According
!. the analysis Of Dr. j II. Salisbury, "Patent 0Ji,
Report. ls50-5l-igriedture- Contains ale
J. hol. sugar, gum or dektrne, malice acid, and Il
. phosphates and sulpha,es Of the alkales. with
;. little fannie and gallic acids Here arises q
l. a, ,..E h. -