VINEGAR, ETC. Vinegar is made of the best quality from hard old cider; it must be placed under sheds in casks but two thirds full, with the bung out, and exposed to a current of air. Sour casks are purified by pouring in a small quantity of hot water, and adding unslacked lime; bung up the cask, and continue shaking it till the lime is slacked. Soda and chloride of lime are good for purifying. When casks are emptied to be laid by, let them be thoroughly rinsed with water, and drained; then pour into each a pint of cheap alcohol, shake the cask, and bung it tight, and it will remain sweet for years. Musty casks should be condemned to other uses. Čider should not be bottled till perfectly fine; otherwise it may burst the bottles. The bottles should be strong, and filled to the bottom of the neck. After standing an hour, they should be corked with velvet corks. The lower end of the cork is held for an instant in hot water, and it is then instantly after driven down with a mallet. The bottles must be either sealed, or laid on their sides, in boxes, or in the bottom of a cellar, and covered with layers of sand. The process formerly adopted for obtaining new and excellent varieties of apples was, to plant only the seeds of the very best fruits, and to select from these only those individuals with large leaves and strong wood. Reason seemed to dictate this mode; but reason united to experience has taught a different. - See the fourth section in the former part of this work. The pear is a tree of pyramidal and elegant form. The leaves are obtuse, elliptical, serrated; the flowers, which are produced on the short spurs of the former year, or of the preceding years, are in terminating villose corymbs; the fruit pyramidally formed, tapering towards the stalk, but varying in the different species. Its branches in a wild state are covered with thorns. It grows spontaneously, as we are informed, in every part of Europe, as far north as the latitude of 51°. It will also succeed in those parts of the United States where the apple tree will flourish, provided the soil is suitable. In New England, it flourishes as in its native soil. It is distinguished from the apple tree not less by its form than by its disposition to emit suckers from its roots, whenever these become obstructed by stones or other substances, or become bruised or broken. The pear tree is a tree of longer duration than the apple. It is stated that, in dry soils, they will continue in health, vigor, and productiveness for centuries. The timber is of a yellowish color, very firm, compact, and fine-grained, and is used for joiners' tools, &c. &c. It takes a fine polish, and, stained of a black color, it resembles ebony. The leaves will produce a yellow dye. In those parts of Europe possessing a climate similar to our own, in Italy and France, the pear is said to be in higher estimation as a dessert fruit than the apple. Uses. Good dessert pears are generally preferred to apples; they are characterized by a pulp tender and melting, or subliquid, as in the beurrée pears, with a juice of a sugary, aromatic flavor; or of a firm and brittle or crisp consistence, or breaking. Cooking pears should be of large size, the flesh firm, neither breaking nor melting, of an austere rather than sweet taste. Perry (poire of the French) is the fermented juice, made in the same manner as cider, from fruit of any size; and the best perry is stated to be little inferior to wine, and the most austere fruits produce the best liquor. The pear is also good for baking, compotes, marmalade, &c. They are also preserved in sugar or sirup of the cane. Dried in ovens, the fruit will keep for years. This mode of preserving is common in France. Bosc has described two modes of drying pears, and adds, that in some of the cantons of that country, the cultivators annually preserve, by these means, supplies of subsistence extremely agreeable and wholesome during winter and spring. He invites cultivators not to neglect this resource. In this mode of drying, those varieties of middle size, melting and sweet, are preferred. After the bread is drawn from the oven, they are placed on the swept hearth, or on hurdles or boards. This operation is repeated a second, a third, and a fourth time, according to their size, and the degree of heat. The heat must not be so great as to scorch, and the fruit must not be dried to hardness. Lastly, they are placed in bags, and preserved in a dry place. The second mode of preserving is practised chiefly on the Rousselets and finest-flavored varieties. Bosc states that he has tried them after three years' preservation, and found them still good; but they are better during the first year. They are gathered a little before their maturity, and after being half boiled in a small quantity of water, they are peeled and drained. They are next carried on hurdles to the oven, after the bread is drawn, or the oven is heated to a suitable degree; here they remain twelve hours; after which they are steeped in the sirup, to which have been added sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and brandy. They are again returned to the oven, which is now heated to a less degree than at first. This operation is thrice repeated, until they are sufficiently dried, or of a clear brown color, and firm, transparent flesh; and finally they are packed in boxes lined with paper. Thirty years ago, the number of varieties of pears obtained by cultivation, as stated by Dr. Willich, was 1500. But the number of good sorts is stated by Loudon “to be fewer in proportion than that of apples. Dr. Van Mons, and the Abbé Duquesne, since that period, have obtained from seed, during twenty years, upwards of 800 new and approved sorts, from probably 8000 new seedlings." From no less than 80,000, is my impression, but I state from memory only. I have detailed their modes of procedure, as stated by Dr. Van Mons, in the former part of this work. Their practice was the reverse of all the popular theories of the day; the results, unlike any thing of the kind before known. CLASS I. OLD PEARS, MOSTLY OUTCASTS. The following list of Old Pears comprises all which are described by Duhamel and by Rosier, and some others also of the English writers. Some I have briefly described, and others I have only named. Many of them are still fine. In these descriptions I have availed of every resource. Many of the reasons for the brevity of this review are stated more fully in Section 4, in the former part of this work. ABBREVIATIONS. q. denotes those varieties of pears which will grow when inoculated on a quince stock. Q. denotes those varieties which were named or described by Mons. Quintinie, 150 years ago. I have, in many instances, appended his remarks of that distant day, and refer to the edition of his work translated and revised by Mr. Evelyn in 1693. } M. refers to Mr. Manning, of Salem. These gentlemen S. refers to Mr. Smith, of Smithfield, R. I. S have tried, and cast off, near 200 of the old kinds. denotes "bad pears," ""indifferent pears," or "outcasts," on the authority of those to whose initials this character is annexed. R. refers to the 53 trees, of 19 varieties, recommended by Rosier * denotes that those old pears, thus marked, still answer at Boston. SECTION I. SECTION I. comprises all the pears described by Rosier, whose descriptions comprehend essentially all those of Duhamel. This section is arranged in the order of their maturity according to Rosier. 1. *AMIRE JOANNET. St. John's. Petit St. Jean. The fruit is small, yellow, pyriform; the flesh tender, sweet, not high flavored; juicy, but soon turning mealy. One of the earliest of all pears, and chiefly valuable for its early maturity. (q.) July. PETIT MUSCAT. Little Musk. Supreme. The fruit is very small, yellow, brownish red next the sun; roundish turbinate; half breaking; of a musky flavor. The fruit grows in clusters. July. (q.) (Q.4) The tree cankers, and is subject to blight. (M.4) (S.4) AURATE. August Muscat. (S.4) (q.) MUSCAT FLEURI. Flowered Muscat. (Q.) 2. MADELEINE. Citron des Carmes. Early Chaumontelle. A fruit of medium size, pale yellow, with an occasional blush next the sun; form turbinate; flesh white, melting; perfumed. End of July. A fine old fruit. This variety exhibits strong symptoms of decay. (M.) (q.) HATIVEAU. [R. I.] QUISSE MADAME. Windsor. An indifferent fruit. (M.4) (Q.) GROS BLANQUET. (q.) 3. *(+) EPARGNE of the French. JARGONELLE of the English. Grosse Quisse Madame. (Q.) The tree is one of the most productive of all pears. The fruit is the best of its season; it is rather large, very oblong; of a green color, a little marbled with red next the sun; the flesh melting, juicy, with a slightly acid, rich, and agreeable flavor. It ripens the last of July. In the vicinity of Boston, where this fruit is raised in abundance for the market, it is usually gathered long before fully. grown, and mellowed in closely-confined masses. I am sorry to add, that the wood of this capital old variety begins to canker and decay at Salem. (q.) OGNONET. Archduke of Summer. SAPIN. DEUX TETES. Double-Headed. (Q.4) BELLISSIME D'ÉTÉ. Supreme. Beauty of Summer. A middling fruit. (M.4) (Q.↓) (q.) BOURDON MUSQUE. Orange d'Été. (Q.) (q.) BLANQUET A LONGUE-QUEUE. Long-Stalked Blanket. (Q.) (R. 2.) PETIT BLANQUET. Little Blanket. (Q.) Very small and beautiful; the skin very smooth, and yellowish white; breaking, musky; but a very poor fruit. (q.) GROS HATIVEAU. Early in August. POIRE D'ANGE. Angel Pear. Early in August. |