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Excerpt from American Agriculturalist, Volume 20, 1861.
A
Pomological Puzzle
 There
was recently exhibited in a show window in this City a narrow
necked bottle containing a large sized pear, a drawing of
which is here given. It attracted much attention and 'how
it was got in there' puzzled most spectators as much as the
apple dumpling did King George — the monarch is said to have
thought the presence of the apple in the enclosing crust,
nothing less than witch-work. The explanation of the pear
"puzzle" is quite easy. After the fruit had fairly
set, the bottle was slipped over the pear, and properly secured
to the branches, so that the wind should not disturb the specimen.
The glass covering rather stimulated than retarded the growth,
and ultimately the pear nearly filled the bottle.
Other fruits as apples, grapes, etc., also vegetables, melons,
and whatever may please the fancy, can be treated in like
manner. Where a grape vine is trained upon a tree, a bunch
of grapes and a pear or other fruit could thus be bottled
together.
After
the fruit is ripe and separated from the branch, it may be
preserved for years by filling the bottle with diluted alcohol,
or even common whiskey. The process is of no great practical
value, but will furnish a pleasing ornamental curiosity.
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