The herald., 1896-06-24
FRUIT AND FARM

The one quality that is of the highest
| Importance in fruits and vegetables is
| flavor Yet too frequently many are
willing to sacrifice this point, If only they
can obtain an article that looks well
when 1t reaches the misunderstanding to
| it's looks to sell it, But the men who
/ cater to the best trade are fully aware
| that while a handsome appearance is
valuable, fine quality, or flavor, is the
! one great feature upon which critical
| buyers insist; while all must acknowl-
edge that in the case of fruit and vegeta-
, bles raised for ones own table the mat
| ter of flavor becomes of the utmost i'm
| portance. 1t is of interest therefore, to
consider how flavor can most success
| fully be developed
| In the first place the fruit or vegeta-
bic must have good flavor as an innate
characteristic. Some varieties are nat
urally excellent in this respect, and these
are the fruits and vegetables to select
for cultivation, for while some excel
lence of flavor can be developed in even
an insipid fruit by proper handling. 1t is
folly to fall short of something better.
when that something better is to be had.
1t is unwise to reject anything which ma
ture has to offer in the way of quality.
Having then been careful to select fruits
and vegetables of a naturally high or
der of flavor, 1t remains for man to do
his part toward developing the POSSIBLE
tiles of that flavor to its highest point
This he can do by proper cultivation,
proper dressing, wise thinning and prop
err handling of the fruit when gathered
The choice flavor which characterizes
"gilt-edged'' butter, and brings to 1t the
highest pricpS results in large degree
from the proper ripening of the cream.
Now, ripening Is breaking down of the
particles of composing cream or fruit
and the consequent liberation of arc
matte oils and acids, and other princi-
pies. A complete ripening can only
take place under the best conditions.
and in the case of fruit these conditions
are perfect development of the fruit
perfect access to IT of air and sunshine,
and such care after harvesting as the in
dividual fruit requires.
No one realized the possible excellence
in the much-abused Kieffer pear until
it was picked from the tree in partic-
ular stage of its development, placed in
a crate and packed away in the dark in
a cellar and left there until it was just
in the right condition. Some fruits
reach their finest development upon the
tree or bush, others must be housed and
treated according to their individual
needs.
The foundation. however. for excel
lence of flavor Is laid while the fruit is
yet growing. 1t must have ample nour-
ishment, and fertilizers strong in pot
ash play no small part here; it must
have good culture. We are acquainted
with two Porter apple trees. the one
standing in an old garden where the
soil was kept clean and constantly
stirred about it, and where ii had abund-
ant nourishment, and the other standing
little wey off, but in an old sod that
had not been broken for score of
years. The former gave high grade
fruit, While from the latter the yield
was hardly recognizable as being the
same variety. a fruit tree must have
food and good culture in order to pro-
duce fruit of the highest quality.
Then. again, very much depends upon
the proper pruning of the tree. or bush,
to let in the air and sunshine. for the air
and sunshine are the chemical agents
by which the substances of the fruit
are broken down and the favoring oils
and fruit acids, that give flavor, devel-
oped. II is a subject that is worth more
careful thought Than is given to it by
the average fruit grower, for with in
creased flavor his own and his family S
enjoyment of the fruit will be greatly
increased while the market will smile
broadly and lucratively upon the heaped
up baskets that he brings TO it.-Ameri-
can Gardening.
Redlands has shipped $50 carloads
of oranges this season, says the River
side Press. The sale of this fruit brought
to the growers $500 900, and to the pack
ing firms, laborers for the latter etc,
about $50, 900, or total of something like
$500 600, to be distributed among the
people of the district, who number about
5000 This is $500 for each family.
Many have been the inquiries for a
cheap and indelible tree label and many
have been the attempts, but to meet
with partial or complete failure. In a
horticultural exchange recently we came
across a letter from a gentleman who
thinks he has solved the problem. He
says: Thinking permanent and easily
made label for plants and especially
bulbs might be of interest to you or
your readers, l enclose a label that
dug up this spring in my garden after
it had been buried seven years. 1t was
made by writing with q clean steel pen
on piece of clean zinc. using a solution
of perchloride of platinum. 1t would