Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-11-02
PRESERVED FRUITS,
An Important aud II ghly Supporting and
ngthenIng Form OF Food.

An Important aud II ghiy Supporting and
Strengthening Form OF Food.
That making and selling fruit pre-.
serves of all kinds is to be a great in.
dustry in this country is beyond ques-
ton. Very few have any idea of the
traffic in sweet fruits, as well as the
common dried ones. England alone
imports nearly or quite three million
pounds sterling in value of sugared
fruits and preserves from the south Of
Europe, annually, and this country is
not behind in proportion to its size,
Our common people use far more cur
rants, raisins and preserves than the
same class in England. .H
Well.to-do families in New York and
the West are falling into the habit of
keeping handsome glass or silver dish
of confections and sLgarcd or glace
fruits on side table where people can
help themselves to q sweetmoat "when
SO disposed" Incessant nibhling at
good things is ruinous to health, but
when exercise or business have used up
the fuel OF the system more rapidly than
usual, bonbon may be very protitably
enjoyed.
In all South Amer houses Of the
least pretension. the cut glass AMI fill
basket OF "delices" is as much part OF
the drawing room order as llower-vases
with us, and sweets are eaten with q
freedom unknown at the North. Crys-
talized fruits appear at every meal, as
regularly as the castor and salt cellar.
and this use of sugared confectlons un-
doubtedly has much to do with the bet
ter endurance of heat.
Sugar and fruits in hot countries and
hot weather support the system as meat
and fat foods do in cold climates. The
French troops in Algiers learn this by
experience, and depend on sugared
sirups to prevent sunstroke and paral-
ysis on hot desert marches. Every
oriental traveller of experience knows
that sweet dates and honeyed cons ,rves,
or grape juice mingled with sugar, as
the Turks love it, keep up tho strength,
and fortify the nerves against prostra-
ton by heat better than any phosph ate
| or medicine.
Men at work ON a Wisconsin harvest
field, when the heat is one hundred
degrees in the shade for days togethe
will hardly feel discomfort if kept up
by free draughts of the delicious, re-
freshing grape-sirup few farmers
wives know the secret of-the principal
thing y northern grape is good for.
Our grandfathers knew this principle
far enough to send huge jugs of
"switchel" to the hot bayfield,; drink
of vinegar, ginger, molasses and water,
which was substitute for fruit sirup.
Barberry sirup is a sovereign pre-
scription for consumptives of scrofu-
lous turn, taken by the gill, three or
four times day. Peach preserves with
the flavor Of the fruit and stones in
them can be eaten by persons of poor
digestion who could hardly digest COM
mon yeast bread, and peach preserve,
made as it should be, is far better for
the.health than the common canned
peach, slightly green and rancous from
its keeping. Apple-butter and cider
apple-sauce are good substitutes for
potatoes in working diet. and could bl
eaten at two of the three meals day
with benefit in season. Preserves are
not mere luscious luxury; they are
NJ, important and highly supporting
form Of food. = Youth'S Companion. !