Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-01
Fruit Drying Works.


HERALD asked the question Cannot
the Alden process of fruit drying be in
troduced in Los Angeles?" The ques-
ton has been answered by the estab-
lishment in this city of works of the
kind with the most improved ma
chinery, and the successful working of
the same. The establishment is To-
Gated in East Los Angeles near the
river. When operations commenced,
HERALD reporter gave the follow
ing description of the building and the
process Of fruit drying:
The building is 32x4O feet, frame,
and four stories high, including the
basement. The lower or basement
story is devoted to the furnaces, three
of which are located in the northwest
ern end Of the apartment, commune
eating 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-room, where the fruit is
prepared and placed in the evapor-
atOrs. The third story is a packing
room for the fruit when dried, and the
fourth contains the hosting machin-
cry and appliances for. receiving the
cured fruit, from which it is lowered
through a chute to the packing-room.
The evaporators constitute the chief
interest of the establishment. They
are simply three large wooden fumes
rising from the furnaces to the eX-
haust above, through which the dry,
hot air passes and cures the fruit in it's
progress on the drying-pans from bot
tom to top. The fumes have a total
height of 40 foct, with upcrtures 3x4
feet. The first eleven feet are occu-
pied by the furnaces, above which the
hosting machinery is arranged, ris-
ing twenty-one feet, and the remain
ing fourteen feet at the top constitute
the exhaust. The hosting machinery
consists of endless chains supplied
with brackets, upon which the dry
ing-pans are placed, the whole oper-
ated by machinery in the fourth story.
Swinging doors open in the sides of
the evaporators at each story to ad-
NIT the fruit, allow an examination
as it progresses in the drying process,
and final removal when finished.
Raisins are made from the grape in
six hours, and apples and other fruits
dried much more readily. About q
tons of grapes are consumed daily by
each evaporator, the yield therefrom
being ton of raisins. With II evapo-
rators at work thirty tons of grapes
will be required each day. The Mus
cat is the best variety for the manu-
facture of rasins, bnt successful ex-
periments have been made with the
Mission, or native, grape. The Alden
process is not only adapted to the cur
ing of grapes and other fruits, but can
be used with advantage in drying
meats and food of various kinds.
Two new evaporators will be put up
ready for this years work, and further
improvements as required. The gold
and silver medals were awarded to
this process at the State Agricultural
Fair, and also the first premiums at
the Southern District Fair held in
Los Angeles. Mr.. Geo. B. Davis,
manager of the establishment here,
lately received letter from one of the
largest wholesale grocery firms in San
Francisco, to the effect that "the Los
Angeles Alden preserved fruit is a su-
perior article to that from any other
portion of the State and readily COM
mands the highest price in tho mar
ket." With this establishment, no
more grapes or fruit will be allowed
to go to rot; and fresh impetus will
be given to vine culture and fruit
growing.