Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-10-22
FRuII.DRYING.
commencement OF Operations ia the
FEuit Drying Establishment Of Mr..
Geo. Ii. Davis Yesterday-The Alden
PrGcess-COmpIete Arrangement
Hospitality TO Visitors etc.. etc.

proprietor of the Alden Fruit Drying
Works just completed in our city,
representatives of the press and many
prominent citizens visited the estab-
lishment yesterday to witness the
commencement of operations. The
occasion was no doubt one of lively
satisfaction to Mr.. Davis as the pro-
jector of the enterprise, who has la
bored unremittingly during the past
two months in pushing the work to q
speedy conclusion in order to take
advantage of the crop of grapes on the
market. Even with his best efforts
the work was not finished until two
weeks after the expected time, but
soon enough, we are glad TO say, to
reap large return from the gra pc crop
and the fruits which ripen subse-
quently. The building constructed for
the works is in east Los Angeles, be-
yond the river and opposite the large
dstillery operated by Mr.. Tarbox. 1t
is S2x40 feet, frame, and four stories
high, including the basement. The
lower or basement story is devoted to
the furnaces, three of which are To-
Gated in the northwestern end of the
apartment, communicating with the
three evaporators, which extend
through the several stories to the roof
of the building. The second story is
used for an office and receiving-ro
where the fruit is prepared and placed
in the evaporators. The third story is
packing-room for the fruit when
dried and the fourth contains the
hoisting machinery and appliances for
receiving the cured fruit, from which
it is lowered through chute to the
packing-room. The evaporators con-
stitute the chief interest of the estab-
lishment. They are simply three
large wooden fumes rising from
the furnaces to the exhaust
above, through which the dry, hot air
passes and cures the fruit in its pro-
gress on the drying pans from bottom
to top. The fumes have a total height
of 46 feet, with apertures SKA feet. The
first eleven feet are occupied by the
furnaces, above which the hoisting
machinery ls arranged, rising twenty
one feet, and the remaining fourteen
feet at the top constitute the exhaust.
The hosting machinery consists OF
endless chains supplied with brackets,
upon which the drying pans are
DldCcuj tllc WllOlc OpeIdtcur NY -lud-
cninery in the fourth story Swinging
doors open in the sides of the evapora-s
tors at each story to admit the fruit,
allow an examination as it progresses
in the drying process, and a final re-
moval when finished.
The grapes to be cured are first
dipped in warm solution to soften
the skin, and arranged in thin layers
upon wire screens, when they are
ready to be passed into the evaporat
Ors and in due course be metamor-
phosed into raisins. The heat to ac-
complish the work required varies
with the kind of fruit in hand, and is
kept from ninety to two hundred and
fifty degrees. The thermometers
showed yesterday temperature of one
hundred and seventy degrees. The
time Of completing the process also
varies to suit the requirements. For
the manufacture Of raisins, about six
hours will be required. Apples and
some other fruitt are dried much more
readily. When the machinery is in
full operation the screens of fruit are
constantly supplied at the bottom, and
the same, thoroughly dried, withdrawn
from the top, keeping up the continu-
ous operation without the waste of any
time or force. In this way, about two
and half tons of grapes will be used
daily by each evaporator, manufactur-
ing therefrom nearly ton of raisins.
The capacity of the establishment can
be readily increased from what it is at
present, the building having been con-
structed of sufficient size to admit of
twelve evaporators of the same capac-
itp of the three now in operation.
When thus increased, about thirty
tons of grapes would be required daily
to keep the works In full operation. !
The Muscat grape is the only variety
known to be we'll adapted to the man. /
ufacture Of raisins, but experiments
are being made on the California or
Mission grape, which will doubtless
produce fair article. The supply of
Muscat grapes, Mr.. Davis informs us,
is much better than he expected,
considering the fact that the season
for them is olready so far advanced.
After this yrety is exhausted, howev-
er, the works will be operated with
Mission grapes entirely during their
season. Mr.. Davis expects to have
some raisins of each vatiety manufac-
tured for exhibition at the approach
ing fair. The Alden process is not
and other fruits, but can be used with
advantage in drying meats and food of
various other kinds. OF course, with
an invention of so recent date, much
is yet 10 be learned of its capabilities,
but in time, we doubt not, that the
Culp process will entirely supercede
almost all other methods of preparing
the product of the orchard, vineyard
and garden for market. After viewing
the establishment throughout and
witnessing it's operations, Mr.. Davis
invited his visitors who Were bibu-
lously inclined to partake with him in
something which is considered anlan-
tidote to the drying process. Lemon
ade was provided for the Good Tenn
plars, and "spike" in it for those
who did not incline in the temperance
direction. BY each and all, the health
of Mr.. Davis aud the success of his
enterprise was pledged. We again
pledge it with renewed wishes for the
speedy development Of the project into
what we believe eventually will be
one of the leading industries of South
ern California.
There Was another good attendance
and pleasant time at the Ladies' Fair