Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-27
EVAPORATED FRUIT.
GLIMPSE OF THE DRIED FRUIT IN
DUSTRY OF WESTERN NEW YORK.

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-C Consumption.
Rochester is the recognized center of the
evaporated and dried fruit industry of the
United States, which during recent years has
assumed very large proportions, the goods
being shipped in large quantities TO all of the
leading markets OF the world No finer fruit
is produced on this continent than is grown
in the territory embraced under the name of
Western New York, comprising some twelve
of 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especially apples, has superseded all other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 undated 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
| fore wasted and allowed to rot on the
| ground, and which now forms a nice income
| to the grower 1t is in the utilization of these
waste products that the deSiccation of fruit
becomes valuable and Indispensable adjunct
to every fruit grower, and the business may
| be considered as yet in its infancy.
EXTENT OF THE BUSINESS.
| Within radius of forty miles of Rochester
there are more than 1900 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 80, 900
hands, who average from IS to sl2 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
elements of success in evaporating good
fruit
The production during the season Of 1887
may be well considered the largest since the
inception of the business, some fifteen years
ago careful estimate places the total
quantity at about 80, 900, 900 pounds, worth at
first cost some $9,Oo0,OO0 To produce this
quantity of apples it required 5000, 900 bush,
els of apples, Ii, 600 tons anthracite coal, and
the constant attendance night and day, Of
an army OF men, women and children, mum
bering 25,000 to $1,000. The water elimi
mated in the process of evaporation amounted
to 225 900 tons reducing the bulk of the greer
fruit to about one-eighth of its origina
, weight, each 100 pounds yielding when prop
, erly evaporated twelve pounds on an aver
, age. The fruit is usually packed in cases O
two cubit feet measurement, holding fit,
! pounds net, the product of say eight and one
, half bushels of green apples
! COST OF TRANSPORTATION.
. The advantages in freight alone will b
a apparent from the following comparison
r showing the cost of shipping one case T.
Liverpool, England, which at existing
n freight rates will cost little less than thirt
cents, while in the green or fresh state il
- barrels the same quantity would cost &. q
a and in the canned state almost s.. 10, withou
r considering the deterioration of the gree
p fruit and the dangers of fermentation to tn
canned article, the apple in the evaporate
+ state being transported without any DANCE
. of deterioration or decay. The refuse of tn
o apples, such as the parings and cores, ar
:, dried and form the base of all the cheap je
; lies manufactured at present. The quar-
: tity produced last season will aggregate som
h 100000 pounds, so that not a particle {
v the fruit Is wasted
T. The principal consuming countries abroa
Il are Germany, England, Belgium, Hollan
a and France, in which the new product hs
, entirely d .spiaced the old fashioned sun drie
q fruit There were shipped alone to Frant
: during 1887 some 1900 barrels of qualit
known as chopped or sliced apple, which
dried without being either pared or core
and is used chiefly for the production
cider, cheap wines and distillation when Il
Il vineyards of France suffer from the phyIlo
Is era Some 4, 000, 600 pounds We're export,
}! during the season, of which more than on
d half were shipped from Rochester-Bra
III streets.