Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-21
PERFORATED FRUIT.
GLIMPSE OF THE DRIED FRUIT iN- DusTRY OF WESTERN NEW YORK.
The Orchards of the Farming Community the Chief Sources of Their wealth-Ex- tent of the Drying Business-Cost of Transportation-Consum ptiou

the Chief Sources of Their weaIth-Ex-
 tent of the Drying Business-cost of
 Transportation-Consum
 Rochester is the recognized center of the evapoTated ani dried fruit indus ry of the United States, which during recent years has assumed very large proportions, the goods oelng shipped n large quantities to all of the leading markers of the world No finer fruit Is produced on this continent than is grown Tn the territory embraced under the name of Western New ' ork, comprising some twelve or the most fertile and richest counties of the Empire state. The cultivation of fruit. especially apples, has superseded all other agricultural products and has proved the most remunerative to the growers. The or chards Of the farming community are the chief sources of their wealth, and the indus try IS prosecuted with unabated vigor, largely aided by the experience, skill and resources of the great nurseries of Rochester, famed throughout the world
 Thousands of tons of apples are produced every season from quality of fruit hereto lore wasted and allowed to rot on the ground, and which now forms nice income to the grower. It is in the utilization of these waste products tbat the deSiccation of fruit becomes valuable and indispensable adjunct to every fruit grower, and the business may De considered as yet in its infancy.
 EXTENT OF THE BUSINESS
 Within radius of forty miles of Rochester there are more than 800 evaporators, from the small farm house drier, of capacity of twenty-five bushels day, to the large steam evaporators, drying 500 to 1000 bushels of apples each twenty-four hours These eva porators give employment during the autumn and early winter months to at least 30 900 hands, who average from $5 to SIP week. according to experience and usefulness New factories are erected every season. prov Ing that the business is profitable when pro- perly and economically conducted Constant care and scrupulous cleanliness are the first elenenUS or success in evaporating good fruit.
 The production during the season of 1887 may be we'll considered the largest since the inception of tho business some fifteen wears ago. A careful estimate places the total quantity aG about 30, 900 900 pounds, worth at first cost some 100000 To produce this quantity Of apples it required 5000, 900 bush els of apples, 15, GOO tons anthracite coal, and the constant attendance, night and day. of an army or men, women and children, num- ber1ng 25,OOO to 5000. The water elimi- mated in the process of evaporation amounted to 225 900 tons, reducing the bulk of the green fruit to about one-eighth of its original weight, each 100 pounds yielding when prop erly evaporated twelve pounds on an aver age The fruit is usually packed in cases of two cuolt feet measurement, holding fifty pounds net, the product of say eight and one half bushels of green apples.
 COST OF TRANSPORTATION
 The advantages in freight alone will be apparent from the following comparison, showing the cost of shipping one case to Liverpool, England. which at existing freight rates will cost little less than thirty cents, while in the green or fresh state in barrels the same quantity would cost g 9, and in the canned state almost g. To- without considering the deterioration of the green fruit and the dangers of fermentation to the canned article, the apple in the evaporated state being transported without any danger of deterloratlon or decay. The refuse of the apples, such as the parings and cores, are dried and form the base of all the cheap jel- lies manufactured at present. The ouan- tlty produced last season will aggregate some l2,0O9, GOO pounds, so that not & particle of the fruit is wasted.
 Inc prlnclpaI consuming countries abroad arc Germany, England, Belgium, Holland and France, in which the new product has entirely displaced the old fashioned sun dried fruit There were shipped alone to France during 1887 some IS, GOO barrels of a quality known as chopped or sliced apple, which is dried without being either pared or cored and is used chiefly for the production of cider, cheap wines and distillation when the vineyards of France suffer from the phyilox- era. Some 100000 pounds were exported during the season, of which more than one> half were shipped from Rochester-Brad- streets.