The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-11-12

nifcent specimens of evaporated APP
Piles, peaches, tomatoes. corn and nu-
merous other fruits tLat only require
to be soaked in water or submitted
to the action of steam, to be almost
equal to fresh fruit ? And, is it not
reasonable to suppose, that the same
can be done with our fig? We think
it does not admit of doubt.
There are many machines invented
! which, in all probability would an
swer the purpose of drying figs. The
most promising one. to our mind is,
perhaps, an eveporator as described
by friend. From description OF
this machine, with tall square flue
or tower with furnace at the bot
tom, and an endless chain revolving
within, provided with square trays
covered with coarse wire, of sufficient
depth to hold a single layer of fruit.
The tray, when filed, is introduced
into the machine, turn of the crank
moves it upward and others are in
troduced at intervals of one minute
until the machine is full after that
the operation is continuous, tray of
fruit introduced at the bottom, and
turn of the crank discharges the
evaporated fruit at the top. The ca.
pacity OF the machine described is,
we believe, some forty bushels OF
dried fruit per day, at a mere nomi-
nal expense for fuel, and can be run
by two hands.
Note-At an exhibition of the
Fruit. Growers Association, large
premium was offered tor the best ma
chine for drying figs, the same to be
exhibited in active operation, but
the inventors failed to respond to the
offer.
A dryer company situated some
where in Pennsylvania did send spec.
linens of their products to the Fruit
Growers exhibition in July, 1878,
and promised to send a machine but
failed.
The company made other prom
Uses also-but probably failed through
the negligence of their agents. We
regretted this, for a perfect fruit
dryer is a great desideratum for Lou
isiana, and we have no doubt, from
the specimens placed On exhibition
that attracted greet deal of atten-
ton at the time, quite a number
would have been sold and the prob.
lem OF drying figs in a speedy and
practical manner, would have been
solved. We append to this article a
few receipts for curing and preserv-
ing figs.
DRIED FIGS.
The fruit should be gathered from
the tree by a careful person, when
perfectly, but not over ripe and
placed in woven baskets made es.
pecially for the purpose. and dipped
into a boiling I've prepared from
strong wood or potashes, mot con.
centrated lye) where they should be
allowed to remain about two minutes.
This will shrivel and bleach the skin
OF the fruit and destroy any larval
which may have been deposited on
the blossom end. The baskets
should be suspended for few min.
utes to drain of. the surplus moisture,
and then put into trays, the bottom
OF which should be made of galvan-
lied iron wire. The trays full of fruit
should then be placed in the drying
oven or machine, and the heat so
regulated that it will dry evenly
and not cook. Should you wish to
dry them in the sun, the fruit must
he turned over at least once
day and covered very carefully, or
removed into the house at night.
when dried, they may be packed
into small boxes or drums, and
always command ready sale; the
more solid this is done the better the
fruit lai will keep, ranging in price from
~ to Isl cents per pound. The
loss in drying is about 60 per cent.
CRlsTALIzED FIGS.
"A weliknown contectioner who crys.
tal'zes large quantity OF figs yearly
purchases fruit that is not perfectly
ripe, and places them in a bath of
clear lime water, where he allowed
them to remain for several hours. The
syrup previously prepared and made
very thick is put into a copper
or porcelain kettle, and when at the
boiling point the fruit is placed in
wire basket and immersed in the boil
ing syrup where it is allowed re.
main twenty minutes; it is then taken
out and drained, afterwards put into