Part 16

Messrs Lee & Co. of 19 Knightrider St., Maidstone, have received medals from the R.H.S. and others for their fruit bottling apparatus and bottled fruit.

They supply a patent economic fruit bottling apparatus at 21s. A thermometer at the side records the temperature of the bottles and of their contents. The following is the method given in the Journal of the R.H.S.

"The fruit must, of course, be fresh and good and the bottles clean. The fruit is first packed into the bottles, which are then filled up to the neck with cold water, or if preferred, with thin syrup made by dissolving ½ lb. of loaf-sugar in hot water and leaving it to cool. The bottles are then put into the cooking pot where they must remain for certainly not less than two hours at a temperature of between a minimum of 145 degrees and a maximum of 160 degrees. This low sterilising temperature being maintained for two, three, or four hours will destroy all germs without cooking the fruit, and is the great secret of successful bottling. No actual harm is done by the heat rising above 160 degrees, but if it does the fruit will probably burst, lose its shape, and not look so nice. Vegetables may be preserved in exactly the same way, but they must be done twice over with an interval of twenty-four hours to allow of their becoming quite cold. Jams and fruit jellies can be preserved fresh and good for years in the same way."

Success in bottling and preserving fruit depends chiefly on two points: (1) The destruction of every germ of mildew, etc., by keeping the bottles at a certain temperature for a certain time; (2) the absolute prevention of any possible re-entry of air into the bottles afterwards. The bottles must be hermetically sealed while in the steam or standing in almost boiling water (see Journal R.H.S., vol. xxvi. part iii. p. 365).

BOTTLING OR CANNING IN SYRUP.--This is done by boiling together at the rate of 3 lbs. of cane-sugar to 1 quart of water and the white of 1 egg; pour the fruit whole into the syrup while boiling, and continue to boil together for only a few minutes, then pour into bottles or cans, and stopper or seal air-tight immediately whilst boiling. Pears may be preserved in the same way. Cheal, Journal of R.H.S., vol. xxi. 1.

PLUM JAM makes a rich preserve. Take equal quantities of fruit and cane-sugar; boil quickly half to three-quarters of an hour, then put into hot jars and cover well at once. Exclude the air as much as possible. The colour of the flesh is said to make a difference in the sale. Red jam is usually preferred, but greengage is also popular. Coe's Golden Drop or Autumn Compôte (September, hardy, fairly productive, but the fruit often splits) are good for yellow ("Amber"--Dr Hogg) jam; Belle de Septembre (September, "a good late cooking variety," good bearer, but fruit prone to split) for crimson colour. Free-stones are better than cling-stones. The following are free-stones: Bittern, Coe's Late Red ("fruit small, good bearer, a very useful late cooking plum"), Early Orleans, Early Transparent Gage, Old Greengage, Orleans, Oullin's Golden Gage, Red Magnum Bonum, Comte d'Althann, Victoria. The following are nearly so: Early Prolific, Czar, Cox's Emperor, Jefferson.

Belle de Septembre is a cling-stone. Damsons make good jam, the colour being a dark rich red.

PLUM JELLY

Plums are rich in "vegetable jelly." 1. Boil alone for half-an-hour, then strain the juice through a fine sieve or cloth; add 2 lbs. of cane-sugar to each quart of juice, boil again for twenty minutes, pour into jars and glasses, cover at once. A firm, clear and bright jelly should result (Watson).

2. "During the preserving season I generally have a few pots of jelly made from each pan of preserves without spoiling my jams. I make currant, gooseberry, and plum jelly this way.

"For all common preserves I allow ¾ of a pound of loaf-sugar to each pound of fruit. The sugar must be broken small. Put the fruit and sugar into your pan, let the sugar melt, then boil quickly for twenty to thirty minutes. Skim carefully, take the pan off the fire, take from it three or four cupfuls of juice, or as much as you think can be spared without making your jam dry. Strain the juice through a small gravy sieve into small jars. This will be found to jelly well. In this way a nice stock of jelly can be procured, and no fruit is wasted." (From Weldon's "Menu Cookery Book," 1s., published by Weldon, 31 Southampton Street, Strand.)

FOOTNOTES:

The dates refer to the time when the fruits were "ready" (ripe, fit for gathering) at the Chiswick Garden of the R.H.S.

From Watson, vol. v. p. 369.

For many useful details see Watson, vol. v.

CHERRIES

It is useless to plant cherries unless the fruit can be protected from the birds. The cost of "keeping" a few trees would absorb all profit. In planting for sale, select two or three varieties only; and these should come in together, if possible, to lessen the cost of "keep." They should be intermingled, for reasons already mentioned (see pears, p. 12).

Cherries like a deep, mellow, and rather sandy soil, but they also thrive on a good loam lying on chalk. Stiff moist soils and dry gravelly soils are not suitable. The trees require much moisture, especially sorts with large leaves, such as the Bigarreau and Heart Cherries. Plant varieties to suit the soil. Inquire carefully what sorts do best in your neighbourhood. Cherries do well in open ground, not shaded nor in a valley. They prefer a south aspect, but Morellos thrive on a north wall. Kentish and Late Duke might also be tried there. Plant as you would pears or plums. Protect your trees from rabbits by wire, and from cattle by "cradles," 6 feet high at least, or iron guards. Cattle fed on cake are useful in cherry orchards, and improve the produce.

CHERRIES FOR EATING, recommended by R.H.S. in 1892, are:--

a. DUKES.--(1) May Duke, dark red and early; (2) Archduke (large blackish red), mid-season, both tender-skinned, and so beloved by birds. Both are close growers.

b. YELLOW-FRUITED (i.e. White Heart or Bigarreau).--(1) Elton, very early, good on heavy soil, tree spreading; (2) Kent Bigarreau, early, large, hardy, makes a large tree, best for general crop.

c. BLACK-FRUITED.--(1) Black Eagle, very large, travels well, free grower, mid-season; (2) Early Rivers, first-rate, earliest black, a good cropper and grower.

COOKING CHERRIES.--(1) Kentish, bright red, mid-season, a compact grower, best for jam; (2) Morello, very late, only fit for wall, fence, or bush.

Other good sorts are Governor Wood (mottled red, early) and Black Tartarian, a strong grower, fruit large, late. Florence is very large and late, succeeding the Bigarreau, but requires a warm soil and aspect.

Where there is no wall, Morellos and other sorts should be planted as bushes in a garden 5 or 6 feet apart. They should be covered with nets when the fruit is colouring. Morellos last a long while on a north wall, protected by a net. These are often in great demand, and in a plantation succeed as standards. But the cost of "keeping" for a long time would be excessive.

PRUNING AND TRAINING

Allow the trees to grow a year before pruning them. Then cut back the branches to about 1 foot in length to an outer eye; the Bigarreau to 15 inches. Encourage two shoots from each branch, one at the end, the other 3 inches from the stem, and on the outside. Thus the branches will not grow into each other. Maintain the chief branches at nearly equal length for some years. Standards do not require much pruning. Cut back in summer (July) all shoots crowding the tree or threatening to cross others. In winter look over the trees again. Keep the trees open to sun and air. Cherries on wall should be on the fan system, and pinched back in July. The branches should be 9 inches apart for Duke Cherries, 12 for Bigarreau. If trained horizontally or as espaliers, shorten the shoots on the upper branches a week or two before those on the lower. Keep the shoots near the wall. When sufficient main branches are formed to cover the wall, do not cut back the leaders again. Be sparing with the knife. After two or three years fruit spurs will form, but not much surplus wood. Morellos require special treatment. The fruit is usually found on the wood of the previous year. Train young shoots in to replace the old, and cut out, when the fruit is off, all the old that can be spared. In standards, pyramids and bushes, thin out the branches.

APHIDES are the chief enemy, especially on walls. Syringe with tobacco water made by pouring 1 gallon of soft boiling water on 2 ozs. of strong shag tobacco; add 2 ozs. of soft soap to the water when poured on the tobacco. Strain off and use cold. This solution is also good against the pear slug-worm, which attacks cherries as well as pears. Follow this prescription by a good syringing of cold water the following morning. The roots of cherries are near the surface so that the ground above them must not be dug.