Analysis of apples

Abstract

<p>At request of Prof. J. L. Budd an investigation has been made into the composition of certain varieties of apples, of which some are well known throughout the State, others are being introduced by Prof. B. from his Russian. stock, and still others are undergoing trial on the College grounds. All the samples analyzed were grown, in this vicinity, and the few not from the College grounds were contributed by Mr. A. Graves of Ames.</p> <p>The chief value of apples and fruits in general, in man’s dietary, lies not in the nutrition which they furnish, for they are poor in nutritive elements, but rather in those constituents which gratify the senses of taste and smell, sharpen the appetite, promote digestion, and in other ways contribute to his health and pleasure. Such costituents are the vegetable acids and their salts, volatile oils and ethers (imparting flavor and odor), the “pectous substances” and gums (imparting viscosity and jelly-like consistence), sugars, including the glucoses (dextrose or grape sugar and levulose or fruit-sugar) together with sucrose or cane-sugar, and possibly other substances as yet but imperfectly known. Beside these, the water of fruits is an important constituent, imparting juiciness and serving to hold in solution the tasteful and healthful materials just named.</p>