The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-11-22
How Can our Fruit Crops be Best
Utilized?


the cause of northern excelling the
southern people in spirit of inter
prise and accumulation of capital,
while he who investigates the sub
ject can soon find the disparity well
grounded.
At least two good reasons may be
for the difference in ques-
ton: First, the northern man is
possessed of a failing energy,
which enables him to labor with a
vim for what he makes as a living,
and in the second place he takes
care of what he makes. In a sense
it is true that nothing is lost in the
north which can by any means be
made to subserve any useful pur-
pose. Very different in the south.
For while we have enough energy,
we have very little idea how to save.
Our farmers work hard from year
to year, raising an abundance of
farm products to comfortably sup
ply their immediate wants, while
whatever overplus there may be is
allowed to waste.
This fact might be illustrated by
various examples, well known t.
every intelligent farmer or citizen
OF this county, but this article,
as the heading indicates, will con-
slider the fruit crop of The south as
an example sufficiently ample with
in itself to convince one that south
ern extravaganza goes very far to
ward weakening the south fnan-
cially.
1t would be utterly useless to in
troduce statistics in proof of the
fact about to be stated with regard
to the neglect of our fruit crops.
For am informed that one citizen
of this county annually raises
about two thousand bushels of ap-
pies, but saves for home use and
market only about five hundred
bushel. But what becomes of the
remaining fifteen hundred bushels
Why, they are allowed TO fall of,
lie on the ground and rot, or are
either turned over to the neighbors
or fed to the hogs. Now, is this
economy? Certainly not. But asks
a good old farmer, what disposition
can be made of such a large crop OF
apples, gradually ripening and fall
ing off all during the summer; there
is no money in hauling them to town
and selling them at twenty or TWEEN
ty-five cents. Now,I make my point;
the farmer is right; there is nc
money in selling large, choice ap
pies at the price stated, but this
very fact has urged the Importance
of devising some means by which
the superabundance of summer fruit
may be preserved for winter use
and bring to the owner winter
prices. Accordingly during the last
fifteen years quite number of men
have been studying the question,
and as result Of their labor at least
ten or twelve fruit evaporators have
been invented, by means Of which
both fruits and vegetables can be
thoroughly dried and packed away
for winter use. These evaporators
are of two kinds-hot air and steam
and are easily managed by boys OIL
ladies. They consume little wood
can be moved from place to place
and by sheltering them, drying
may be carried on rain or shine
day or night. Now, with such a
machine in his possession any fruit
grower may have his falling fruit
gathered up every morning, and
when enough has been gathered tC
run the eyaporator a day, or even
for a shorter time, it may be evap
GRATED, and thereby saved from de
caying on the ground, or furnishing
extravagant food to swine-extrav-
agant, because it is well claimed
that apples will not fatten hogs.
But not only may the farmer
evaperate his fruits, but all kinds Of
vegetables, as intimated above, may
be dried on the machine and sacked
or boxed for winter use.
Now, before entering further into
the subject, it is necessary to cal
attention to the vide difference be
tween "dried' fruit, and s'eVapOfat-
ed" fruit. Dried fruit, as all know
is fruit dried by the sun, and re
minds one very little of fresh fruit;
while eVaporated fruit is that evap
grated by one of such machines as
has been mentioned above, and
tastes as little like dried fruit as the
dried does like fresh. In fact
hardly one man out of ten can de-
tect the difference between evapor-
ated and fresh fruit. So as 3 patural
consequence, the evaporated article
sells for four or five times as much
as dried fruit, or retails for twenty
cents per pound-$5 per bushel.
Now, suppose the gentleman of
Wilson county had evaporated his
two thousand bushels of apples, he
would have had about four hundred
bushels OF evaporated fruit, which,
even at $3.50 per bushel, is $500
for an apple crop which costs com
paratiEely nothing. These sugges-
tons have been made in order that
the fruit growers, in and near Leb-
anon, may realize the worth of their
fruit crops when converted into the
evaporated article. Any one espe-
cially interested on che subject can
receive information as to evapora-
tors, by calling at the Register of
flee. r. w. S.