In the preservation of fruits and vegetables, some are dried, as in the case of nuts, raisins, sweet herbs, &c.; others are preserved by sugar, such as many of the fruits, whose delicate juices would be dissipated in the process of drying. Some are preserved in vinegar, as in the case of pickles; a few by salting, as French beans; and others are preserved in spirits. Appert's method applies to vegetables and fruits of all kinds; they need not, however, be parboiled. The dry and fresh-gathered fruits are put into strong, wide-mouthed glass bottles, carefully corked, and luted with a cement of lime and soft cheese, and bound down with wire. The bottles are then inclosed separately in canvas bags, and put into a kettle of water, which is gradually heated until it boils; the bottles are kept in this condition until the fruits are boiled in their own juice. The whole is then left to cool; after which the bottles are examined separately, and put away for store. Many kinds of vegetables may be preserved by being spread out on the floor of a kiln, and dried by a gentle heat: the thicker kinds of roots, such as carrots, turnips, potatoes, &c., are to be sliced, and thoroughly well dried; after which they must be packed up in paper or very dry boxes, and put into casks.[3] A method of preserving vegetables by drying and pressure, recently invented by M. Masson, was brought into prominent notice at the Great Exhibition. Cabbage, sliced turnips, apples, or whatever vegetable be selected, are dried in an oven at a certain temperature, so as to drive off from seven to eight per cent. of water: the drying must not be conducted too slowly nor too rapidly, but at a medium rate. After the drying, the vegetables are packed into a very small compass by the intense pressure of an hydraulic press; then squared and trimmed with a knife, packed up in tinfoil, and lastly, stored in boxes. A short time ago, we examined some red cabbage preserved in this way, which had been exposed in the Great Exhibition all the time it was open, and had been slowly absorbing moisture, and yet it appeared to be perfectly good. By this method, from 15,000 to 18,000 rations, of a quarter pound each, can be stowed into a cubic yard. We also saw some dried plantains from Mexico (a vegetable of very considerable nutritious value), which had been lying in a warehouse at Woolwich ever since the year 1835, and had undergone no change. It was stated that the method of preparing them is cheap and easy, and that the dried plant can be sent in any quantities to Europe, at six cents per pound, with a considerable profit to the importer.