The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-05

Editor Sunday Call: "When the humid
storm-clouds gather" before the farmer has
his hay under cover, or the fruit-grower is
through drying his fruit or picking his
grapes the tinkle on the shingles of the soft
rain overhead finds no echo in bis heart
But, as usual, Healdsburg is favored To-
cality. The few heavy but short showers
we had Sunday aud Monday nights did
more good than harm. They settled the
dust, purified the atmosphere, without con-
tinuing long enough to do any injury TO the
tons of fruit that are yet exposed The north
wind, generally an unwelcome but not
frequent guest, has blown the clouds away :;
and at present there are no Indications of
rain, much to the relief of the fruit-grower,
who is not quite through with his work.
The Wallace ranch, situated on Mill Greek,
a few miles southwest of Healdsburg has
commenced sending in the fruit the busy
propri etorS have dried this season. Mrs.
Wallace has sold already $1,000 worth of
dried fruit and will find ready market for
all she has just think OF one Wagon-l0ad OF
fruit selling for $500, which was really the
case.
Frank z. Cunningham, whose fertile land
is but few miles northwest of Healdsburg,
has been very busy drying fruit for the last
two months. His many friends, whom he
was wont to furnish with magnificent
Thanksgiving apples, are very apprehen-
StNC dOOub tHtll uouhl supply Hdb ul1Cl
of his has a yoracious appetite; and it seems
almost pity to see such fine ruddy checked
Sm his cider so sacrificed.
To the unsophisticated the dryer is full of
interest In the first place the apple is put
in a small machine; few turns to the crank
and the apple comes out pared, cOred and
sliced A large tray is tnickly covered with
these slices. and then put into an apartment
that will hold seven trays. Here they are
left ten minutes to be sulphured, which
makes them beautifully white This
is very. simply done. Some. distance
on a fire and it is the fumes
that ascend that bleach the apples. After
they are removed from this apartment the
trays are placed In large cupboard-like ar
rangement that will hold ninety trays. This
is heated by hot-air pipes, and the apples
are ready for the market IN three hours from
the time they are pared. Quick work, is it
not? have heard objections raised against
sulphuring fruit. The sulphur does not
affect the flavor Of the fruit whatever, and
if one would stop and think of the daily
doses of sulphur and molasses his mother
used to give him every spring, he will realize
the fact that he had more sulphur in his
system in one week in those "goOd old
times" than he would possibly have by eat
ing dried apple-pieS every day for two
months. Mr.. Cunningham is not largely in
terested in fruit. His hay. wheat and corn
fields are more TO his taste. His place is an
ideal home, whose latch-string hangs always
outside.
Mr.. E. E. Wise, son-in-law of the late
jurist Hall McAllisIer, has a beautiful home
just east of town, overlooking Healdsburg
Wine-making is at its height in his artistic
looking stone winery. He expects to make
about $4,000 gallons of wine; using only the
choicest kind of grapes. His vineyard can
nearly supply all that are needed, but he is
getting few tons from Alexander Valley
The elegant home of Mrs. Paxton joins
Mr.. Wise's place on the south. Her winery
has larger capacity, and is also busily en-
gagged in crushing grapes.
The ladies OF the different church denomi-
nations have been reaping golden harvest
with their harvest home dinners, their New
England dinners and "ice-cream sociables"
But, unlike most church entertainments,
they give you more than your moneys worth.
The people of Healdsburg are unusually
generous toward worthy cause but it is
not case of self-donial or generosity to pay
20 cents for a dinner whose bill of fare con-
sists of chicken pie, roast chicken, beef,
veal and pork. baked beans, tomatoes. corn,
potatoes, salads, plum pudding. mince.