"Fruit of all kinds, in coat Rough, or smooth rind, or bearded husk, or shell, She gathers tribute large, and on the board Heaps with unsparing hand." - Paradise Lost.

Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit

As the kind, hospitable woods provide. - Cowper.

Fruits for preserving should be carefully selected, removing all that are imperfect. They are in the best condition when not fully ripe, and as soon as possible after they are picked. Small fruits should not be allowed to stand over night after they are picked when they are to be preserved. Use only the finest sugar for preserving. When fruit is sealed in glass cans, wrap paper of two or three thicknesses around the cans. The chemical action of light will affect the quality of the preserves when perfectly air-tight. With this precaution, glass cans are preferable to any other for preserving fruit. One-half a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, is a good rule for canned fruit, although many housekeepers use but one-quarter of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit.

An excellent rule for canning the larger fruits, as peaches, pears, etc., is to place them in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water, first laying a cloth in the bottom of the steamer. Fill this with the fruit and cover tightly. Let them steam for 15 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork, (some fruits will require a longer time). Make a syrup of sugar of the right consistency. As the fruit is steamed, drop each for a moment into the syrup, place in the cans, having each one-half full of fruit, and fill up with the hot syrup, then cover and seal.

Preserved Peaches

Select Peaches of fine quality and firm. If too ripe they are not likely to keep perfectly. Pare and place them in a steamer over boiling water and cover tightly; an earthen plate placed in the steamer under the fruit will preserve the juices which afterward may be strained and added to the syrup. Let them steam for 15 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork; make a syrup of the first quality of sugar, and as the fruit is steamed, drop each peach into the syrup for a few seconds, then take out and place in the cans; when the cans are full, pour the hot syrup over the fruit, and seal immediately. Inexperienced house-wives will do well to remember that the syrup should be well skimmed before being poured over the fruit. We prefer the proportions of half a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit for canning, although many excellent house-keepers use less. This rule is excellent for all the large fruits - as pears, quinces, apples, etc.

Preserved Pears

To 6 lbs. of pears, 4 lbs. of sugar, 2 coffee cups of water, add the juice of 2 lemons, and the rind of 1, a handful of whole ginger; boil all together for 20 minutes, then put in your pears and boil till soft, say about a quarter of an hour. Take them out and boil your syrup a little longer. Then put back your fruit and give it a boil; bottle while hot, adding a little cochineal to give it a nice color.