St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-03-15

windows. to attract attention., the COM
mission merchant said. while industri-
ously whacking the head of barrel
| into place. ''boxes of shriveled peaches
nicely arranged in rows with the pink
sockets where the peach pits once We're.
For the preparation of green fruits and
vegetables Tor the housckeeper use IN
| winter millions of dollars have been in
vested in this country in the past few
years. and the trade all sprung from
dried apples
''How so9"
1.-The Yankees couldn't live through
the winter without~dried-apple pies and
pumpkin pies. In the fall they pared
the apples, cut them into quarters,
| strung them on long, stout strings with
the aid of darning- needle, and deco
rated the kitchen ceiling with feStoons Of
the fruit. In winter, when the house
keeper wanted to make batch OF pies,
she cut off a yard or two of this drapery.
Some smart Yankee several years ago
invented a machine to dry any fruit or
vegetable by wholesale. They were
named evaporators, and were first used
in New York and New jersey, and their
| principal use is now in those States.
Southern and Western farmers. how
ever, are beginning to understand the
advantages of using them. There are
probably scores of evaporators manu-
factured. Some may be put into any
clubhouse that is two stories high. while
others require separate building for
the purpose Individual farmers usually
find room in some shed or .lean-to,' to
avoid expenditure in building for the
purpose. The space required is only
twelve or fifteen feet square of flooring
or even less than that.
THE various kinds of evaporators."
the dealer continued, ''are alike in this:
At the bottom is a furnace for coal or
for wood, and over the furnace is a
hi oh. narrow inclosed superstructure,
which looks like fat wooden chimney
sticking out through the roof. Inside
of this chimney the evaporation is car
ried on by very different processes in
different machines. Some of the ma
chimes may be taken down and put up
uuain with ease. These were made to
be rented to farmers at 4 few dollars 4
day. Most of the evaporators are tall
enough to run up through the roof of
the building. A popular machine has
at the top of the structure and inside of
it wheel, and at the bottom another
wheel. Around these wheels pass end
less chains, carrying at intervals Of a
few inches broad trays or racks on
which the green fruit is placed. As the
trays revolve they remain horizontal.
The operator stands at an opening on
the side of the evaporator on the first
floor above the heater. and as he takes
out tray of evaporated fruit which
comes down to him in the revolution
of the endless chain of racks, he inserts
in its place a tray containing fresh
fruit. then gives the apparatus pull
downward, bringing the next tray
above, when the operation is repeated.
Trays with the fresh fruit descend. pass
around into the opposite side of the
evaporator. up to the top, over to the
operators side again. and downward
to his hand. III the machine is handled
skillfully the fruit will be ready to be
taken out after making one revolution.
Failure is liable to result from drying
the fruit SO that it is chippy and taste
| less on the one hand or SO moist as to
be-, ,ome quickly heated and mildewed
on the other hand. To prevent this,
and TO enable TIE operator to know the
exact condition of the fruit at any
stage OF the process, glass windows are
set in the sides of the evaporation, and
the rate of speed may be regulated At
will. Through the center of the trunk
is partition dividing the space into two
flues. and damper enables the opera
tor to throw heat into either or both OF
these sections.
Each of the evaporators is built TO
carry out a diferent theory of preserv-
ING fruit The object aimed ut is to
produce an article which may be trans
ported to foreign shores and be kept for
years, while it retains as much as pos
sible its original characteristic flavor
and sugary taste. The inventor of the
machine just described asserts that the
green fruit should be heated immedi-
ately to as great degree of heat as ii
will bear without perceptibly changing
its color. Hot air will not penetrate
and scald the fruit, he says, as moist
air can. AS the fruit rises gradually
through the hottest ilue the heated air
and vapor passes off at the top. While
rising, the heat on the outside of the
fruit is diffused through it, and while
descending the other iiue to the oper-
ator it receives its last heating, and is
removed. Another inventor argued
that fruit should be first sub .ected to a
humid atmosphere to soften it, and then
gradually dried by increasing the heat.
In this inventors machine the fruit is
put in at the top, on trays, and taken
out at the bottom. Another inventor
exactly reverses the process. and it is a
popular process. too. As the fruit gets
to the top of the shaft it is believed
that it absorbs flavor from the hot odor-
laden atmosphere constantly rising.
Still another inventor passes the fruit
through horizontal trunk having q
furnace at one end and fan at the
other end TO return the hot air. 1t is
claimed that it is economical to return
the heated air and vapor.
:Evaporators are now settling down
into steady demand. Farmers have beer
shaky about buying, because so many
burned down. Thirty or more burned
down in one county in one season
Farmers are beginning to find out. how
ever, that when the market is dull these
machines will transform their perisha
ble fruit into imperishable. Al
evaporator will frequently save enough
fruit from decay to pay for itself in ,
year. This year a very large number
Of boxes OF evaporated fruit we're sen
abroad. One machine turns out from
7o to leo bushels day. As to profits
have heard that several large cider
manufacturing establishments in thi
State and in New Jersey have given III
their cider presses and have bough
evaporators Representatives OF thes'
companies inform me that out of lO,oO(
bushels of apples less than $500. net