The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-12-27

| OlO III SASlI luSluS IObS OCAOAN ShSJ
are dry. Neither should they be
handled more than can be helped, tor
that removes the bloom. So soon
as there is no more danger of their
contents running out, which may be
at any time from a week to tort
night, according to the state of the
weather and the ripeness OF the figs,
they may be placed without much
danger on large canvas sheets and
covered up, or taken in at night and
exposed to the sun during the heat
OF the day. The object is to prevent
mildew or incipient fermentation,
and keep the drying in progress with
out interruption.
THE SWEATING OF FIGS.
When the figs have attained Ger.
tain degree of dryness, which may
be known by their feeling firm in the
hand, and upon cutting open one or
two Of the sottest, finding the inteS
rlOr matter fairly solid, the time will
have arrived for a most important
operation, the saceatinQ What was
used for this purpose in Portugal
Was sufficiently large sheet of thick,
strong canvas, sail cloth In fact Up.
on this the figs should be laid, an
during the day, if there be sunshine,
opened out and exposed to i. for
few hours, then at night packed in a
heap in it, covered up and kept as
warm as may be in any convenient
place. After perhaps four days, &C"
cording as the weather is warm or
not. the sweating will commence;
and as soon as it does, throw IN
handful or two of bay leaves; Portn
gal bay is the best.
The color will darken; often be-
come quite dark, even if the figs
were OF the pure white kind, and will
become quite soft and pasty, and
throw out strongly their natural odor.
AT this point no rule can be laid down
each must judge tor himself; but it
is best at first not to let IL run too
far. They are now ready tor the
last operation--packing. Have plen
ty of fresh bay leaves ready and use
them freely all around the inside of
the boxes.
Whether rapid artificial drying
will answer as we'll IS the slower
process, . G., whether it will prevent
future heating az termenting, and
SO destroy the < Auct, is very in~
teresting problerl With care there
appears to be nc JASON 30 fear. Elk
pertinent alone IA prove it. The
danger will come in at sweating; but
it may arise alter the packing through
heating, especially if the boxes or
barrels be OF a considerable size.
Figs properly sweated and packed /
have never yet seen offered Tor sale
in our market.
PACKING FIGS.
Turkey and Smyrna figs come to
US usually ID small boxes, and these
are good where the fruit is large and
OF uniform size. But what I consid-
err far more appropriate tor this coun-
try, is the plan usual in the A garves
and some other parts OF Portugal;
and it consists in packing the figs III
sort OF basket made from the Leaf
of sedge, or something of the kind.
These baskets (dlcotas and olcotinhas)
will hold from lbs. to about 20 lbs.
They must lie strong According as
the dried fruit is put in, he sides are
completely covered with a double
thickness OF Day leaves and the figs
pressed firmly down, and when the
0ic0t0 is completely full, the mouth
or opening is firmly drawn together,
and sewed With some strong mates
rial. The nearest approach to the
basket OF figs that / know, to which
can direct the reader, is basket OF
dates, ana he firm way Ill which
they are packed. Now, the purpose
OF packing thus tightly is this: 1t
prevents the fruit from throwing out
that meaiy substance so commonly
to De seen, whicn is the natural fruit
sugar; aud snpposing the fruit 70
throw it out, by excluding air and
moisture it prevents decay or fer
mentatlon from taking place. Per
feet dry tigo snould have no mealy
coat on the.l. Packed as described
above, our dry hgs ought to keep tor
at least one year. So soon as the dill
terence is discovered between fresh
dried fruit and Imported. the pubic
Will prefer our own Tor ordinary pur-
poses, though it will be smaller and
darker III color
One OF the prettiest domestic pcs
lures drawn by the sacred pcnman,
| no, Il al al. *, u 1