Only thoroughly ripe fruit should be used, if the best quality is wanted.

If a considerable number are to be put up, it will be worth while to get a special peach-peeling knife and a peach-pitting spoon-one which can be used to cut the pit out of clingstone varieties before the fruit is cut in half. Either a forty or sixty per cent, syrup may be used to cover the fruit in the jars, but the latter is better for a high quality product. Small pieces, or less desirable varieties, may be covered with a lower grade syrup, or even with plain water if the product is to be used for making pies and so forth. The clingstone varieties are of a much firmer texture than the freestones, and, for that reason require a little longer period of processing, whereas twenty-five minutes is sufficient for the free-stones, the clings should be given about thirty -hot water bath time. The fruits vary greatly, however, and they cannot be successfully sterilized by rule-of-thumb. Make a careful examination of the product in the first few cans heated, to see if the texture desired has been obtained.