The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-05-06
Prune Raising iaelirornia.

Press, in answer to sequest for in
formation concerninprune raising
in Santa Clara valley fites:
Within the last fewpars there has
been such marked iprovement in
the quality of the pruii iishipped from
this valley that the fruhas attracted
the attention of deale not only of
San Francisco, but ofchicago also,
and other Eastern nilScts. There
has no doubt been pI,ress made in
curing the different rieties cult
waited here to some eXtS, but in this
communication | shallpnfine myself
to the one leading variy, known as
the French prune, (thpetite Prune
dAgen).
THE TREI
AS grown here, is low-tpcd, smooth
barked and healthy, :tood grower,
bears early and immeA crops under
good cultivation. The hit is medium
sized, egg-shaped, reddii-purple, sug
ary and ripens in Sejember. The
trees are planted fronl6 to 20 feet
apart. Several growersaid they pre-
ferred having them on lnch stock.
AS most of the bearin orchards in
this valley are located |, the willows
n mile or two south ofSan Jose, TO
get some items in regar to the bust
ness, ! took n drive tolhe beautiful
fruit neighborhOod. Tre | gained
some items OF informatid, but not all
desired in regard to he process of
curing and preparing for iarkct. The
process of drying, as prat ticed by all,
IL very simple and essntially the
same. 1t is in the "tinising up pro-
cess" that the great secre comes in.
GATHERING THE RUIT.
When the fruit is sufficiently ripe rs
to be shaken from the tre, two cloths,
each in the shape of hat circle, are
spread on the ground so : to form n
circle around the tree to hep the fruit
from being injured by falling on the
ground. After one vigordls shake of
the tree the cloths are lifttl, empticd
into basket and passed on to the
next tree. EVERY few days, as the
fruit ripens, this process has To be re-
pcatcd until the fruit has all been
gathered.
Having gathered the fruit tie next
operation is
THE ALKALINE DIP.
This is done by plungilg Il wire
basket full of fruit for few seconds
into strong solution of staldilG al
kalinc water, then Immediately pGng-
ing it into Il tank of cold fresh water
to remove the alkaline deposit. The
object of this process is twcfold, rs
to destroy in some meas
ure the toughncss of the clbicle, ren-
lering it more porous, rs greatly to fa-
cilitate the process of drying and also
improving the prune rs to nnderness
for the table.
The fruit is now ready 70. driving.
The most that | have seei driving
were spread out on littcrs made by
mailing laths on light frames about as
'ar apart as they are placed for plas-
tering, and laid on level ground in the
sun. "A better plan, however, is to
make the frames of plaled and
boards an inch OF more in
so rs better to rdain and
the heat from tn, rays of
,he sun, than can be done by thin,
open frames. Should the weather
'io'S i"NoIaoie tiie iruit tiluseXposeu
VIII be sufficiently cured in FIVE or six
lays to be removed to the stTehouse.
treat care should be taken to have
hem uniformly dried. They should
'e removed from the frames while yet
oft and pliable to the han,, before
hey become hard and solid.
FINISHING TOUCH.
~o,,,
Nothlhg now remains bul to give
ne Pruhes the inlshihg loich ana
'uch ,neiil lol market but this, after
W, seems 10 ne 'ile great secret OF the
BUSINESS. Each OF the three leading
neh .ia' l interVleweu were perfectly
rec ana IuIi IN eNpialnlng all their