Page 326

WHY RIPE FRUIT IS SWEET
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CONCRETE SUNDIAL SHOWING AN INTERESTING ARRANGEMENT OF
WALL, FLOWER-
BEDS, LATTICE AND PILLARS: THE SAME SATYR FIGURE HAS BEEN USED BY MRS. HOYT
FOR GARDEN TABLES
AND FOUNTAINS WITH CHARMING RESULT.
being able to take almost any tint desired
makes it well worth experimenting with.
If the mold be not too carefully handled,
figures will emerge that have all the charm
of antique things with none of the rawness
of the new, for the surface quickly mellows
and blends into its place among the things
of nature as though it were created by the
same power that made the plants and
stones, instead of by the hand of man. It
is a medium that lends itself best to sim-
ple forms, so that amateurs adopting the
pleasant task of constructing their own
garden furniture, are of necessity kept to
the simple lines that make for greater
beauty.
  Mrs. Hoyt's plan of casting is to be rec-
ommended, for she removes the mold be-
fore the concrete is thoroughly dry. She
is then able to model the face, hair and
muscles of the little body, cutting away or
adding as is necessary, so that her work
has the character of an individual creation
-as indeed it is.
  Indeed, those who have the time to ex-
periment in this sort of work will find it
full of interest, since it allows a wide range
of originality in both design and finish.
326
WHY RIPE FRUIT IS SWEET:
THE LATEST TESTS BY UNCLE
SAM
    HOSE who not only are fond of
        fruit but are of an inquiring turn
        of mind, and like to know the why
        and wherefore of things, will be
interested in the following article from the
New York Times, which explains the ripen-
ing and sweetening process of fruit as ana-
lyzed in the laboratories of Uncle Sam.
And since the explanation is given in a
simple though scientific manner, it may add
to the interest with which we regard our
apples, strawberries, sweet potatoes and
other popular edibles in which the sugar
element plays so important and appetizing
a part.
  "Fruits, roots and tubers," begins this
article, "have always furnished a consider-
able part of the diet of mankind, and are
therefore entitled to serious consideration.
Every one knows the difference between
ripe and unripe fruit, yet there is a sur-
prising lack of information as to precisely
what is the basis for such distinction.
  "Why one variety of apples picked in