In the February No., 1850, of the Horticulturist, you published an account of the mode of preserving fruit in tin cans, by which (those who succeeded) were to have it in all its freshness and delicacy, as if but recently plucked from the trees. Having made the attempt and signally failed, I wish to ascertain wherein I erred, so that I may make the trial again, for I would like much to be able to have by me a few cans of delicious fruits, with which either to treat a friend, or better still, to add to the comforts of the invalid. My experiment was thus conducted. I procured a number of tin cans, about six inches high by five wide, with tops to fit over, with a small hole the size of a pin in the centre. These I filled with fruit, packing them carefully, so as to have no bruised or decayed specimens. The first I tried was filled with strawberries; the others with peaches. The strawberries were carefully hand picked. The peaches were selected by myself, so as to be sure there were no specks or bruises; they were put in whole, and as some of the cans were filled with large varieties, only very few could be put in.

I then had the tops carefully soldered and following the directions given by "W." I placed them in a pot filled with hot water, which was made to boil over a gentle fire, and a drop of water was placed over the small hole to ascertain when the air was expelled, but it seemed to me to be impossible to expel it all if that was to be the test, for I kept some of the cans in the water for upwards of a half hour, and even then the air would bubble through; think-ing,however, that the fruit would be stewcd,and not preserved, in the state your correspondent promised, I hermetically sealed them up, by dropping some solder on the hole - took them out, and after wiping them, put them away in cool places. Some were in the water 15 minutes, others upwards of a half hour, and one I suppose a full hour. And now for the result. On opening them, I hare found the peaches pretty well stewed, and having an acid fermented taste, somewhat resembling the mixture of brandy and sugar, and not one fit to be eaten. The strawberries a mess not fit even to be tasted.

Now as you hare eaten fruit preserved in their fresh state, and pronounced them excellent, I am very desirous of knowing how to accomplish it, and will be exceedingly glad if you or your correspondent TV , will inform me in what I erred, and give me such plain, practical directions that I may succeed in my next trial. The difficulty seems to be to expel the air completely, and yet the time I gave was sufficient to stew the fruit, and yet did not sufficiently expel the air, as indicated by its escape through the water dropped over the hole.

I shall be especially obliged to you, (or W.) if you will furnish these directions at an early day, for strawberries are now ripening, and I would like to put up a few of them. as well as peaches. Tours, etc, L. South Carolina, March 31, 1851.

We reply to the foregoing, (and another communication to the same effect,) by saying, that we imagine our correspondent "W." was not fully informed regarding the mode of expelling the air from the cans. We learn, on inquiry, that this is understood to be the whole mystery of preserving fruits in their fresh state - quite a large trade in which is now carried on in Baltimore and New York - but whether the air is exhausted by means of the air pump, or by the boiling-water process - we are unable to say. The companies engaged in the trade make a secret of it - but it is known to "out-aiders," and perhaps some of the knowing ones will send us a line on this subject. Ed.