The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-07
HARVESTING PRUNES.
Machinery is Rapidly DispIacing Hand
Labor.
The Improved Appliances Used at San
Jose-Their Capacity and Cost
of Operating.


nIteeh years that California has been pro-
ducing prunes the advance has been
almost as great, and that in an industry
where labor was thought to be king, and
In which we expected to see busy vii
lagos cover the whole country. We had
learned that the prune must be subjected
10 many peculiar process of heating,
baking, etc., besides manipulations to
make 1t part easily from the pit One by
one we have dispensed with such theories
and practice and found that if the fruit is
gathered when sweet, run into grades &C
cordlng to size, has the skin treated to
facilitate evaporation, and when dry in
the sun Is cleaned and treated with coat
ing OF glucose or grape syrup, nothing
more is necessary for product that will
reach the worlds market in cargoes.
1t has been found that almost every
stroke of this work can be done by ma
chinery. When prunes are fit to gather
they drop easily from the tree. Taking
advantage of this they load a low plat
form-wagon with big boxes and stop
when the middle of the wagon is opposite
the tree and six or eight feet distant.
With canvas about five yards square,
and parted in the middle, fastened to a
pole on one side, that rests against stakes
upon the edge OF the boxes, they spread
the canvas under the tree, give it a good
shaking and then raise the outer edge of
the canvas and as they walk toward the
tree roll the prunes into the boxes.
They drive to the dryer and there hand
the boxes to man who pours them into
the elevator, where a draper, modelled
after that on header, carries them to the
0ppHnr S,Df1 T..
to seven sizes and leaves them in separ-
ate bins. One after another the contents
OF these bins are passed through the dip
per, where machinery carries the fruit
through solution OF hot lye to soften the
skins.
They used to depend on heating the
upper over an arch and the strength of
the I've was mainly depended upon.
Now they are heating the dip with steam
and are getting to rely so much on the
heat of the liquid that many are dis
posed to give up the lye entirely. The
smaller the prune the longer it needs to
be dipped. This is one great advantage
of grading before treatment.
AS the prunes come from the dipper
they fall upon tray, three feet by eight,
made Of shakes nailed to frame.
Fifteen or twenty of these frames are
piled on a car or truck and run out to the
curing grounds.
With remarkably favorable weather
they may be ready to have two trays
poured on, one within three DAYS, but it
Is pretty good management and very fair
weather II you can I'LL your prune trays
once o week.
a set of the largest machinery now in
use has capacity OF twenty tons per hour.
AS each tray holds about seventy-two
pounds and you place about ten trays on
roo, little over tifty-seyen tons of
fruit are spread on an acre. At this rate
the big machine can cover ten-acre field
every three days, ana tho capacity of
machine and yard should be calculated
to handle the crop in about twelve full
days work. This amount of fruit vould
grow on 2lO acres when i'll full bearing
Machinery, building, trays, etc., cost in
the neighborhood of 10000.
THE PROCESS ROOM.
AS prunes come from the drying-yard
they are somewhat dusty and some have
shriveled more than others. To perfect
the product they are run through q sec
ond-grader and double dipper. In the
first bath they are washed, and as thew
come TO the top of the apron are rinsed
with spray, when they fall into the sec
ond bath In which is a solution of glu-
cose, or grape syrup. Perhaps others
use other preparations, for this is a fea-
ture that many try to surround with
mystery IN promotion of the idea that
only their particular method of treatment
1nsures the exquisite flavor. Either the
glucose or the grape syrup will gloss the
prunes. AS the syrup gives the more
agreeable flavor, and we don't know
what to do with all our wine cranes.
while we have to send away for glucose.
the presumption is quite strong in favor
of the syrup.
AS the prunes leave the dip thew fall
upon draper that is the first one of n
series. Each of these connects with a
bin funnel-shaped from which the nrnnes
are sacked. The operator arranges his
slides to deliver the fruit in either hin he
chooses.
From these bins the fruit is run into
sacks OF 100 pounds each. A good strong
cotton sack is the best package and a
cheap affair liable to burst at any time)
the worst that can be used.
Now all through this process the prune
has never been handled once.
With improved appliances one davis
labor is capable OF producing from one
thousand to two thousand pounds of the
finished product, depending on skill, APP
planes and management. In this we
make no allowance for hindrauces, such
as awaiting foc material to arrive, rehand-
ling during damp weather, etc.
Now the capacity of such n plant is
only limited by the time required to
empty the fruit into the hopper and take
| the trays away. The time may come
when they Will run two elevators and
unload wagons from each side and take
away trays from two discharges. Such n
plant as here described in general way
costs about $40, 900, and il is fair to allow
for the use of such plants, including in
terest, insurance, wear, etc, 20 per cent
of their cost. Ii the plant can only be
depended on for two weeks full work in
year, it seems doubtful policy to incur
a cost of VI, goo per week for machinery.
If worked TO its full capacity TO produce
500 tons of dried prunes the cost does not
seem so very heavy after all when we
figure il down TO 81 per ton for use of
plant, and 81 to 81 per ton for labor of
gathering, drying and processing.
Locate such n plant where it can be
used for apricots, then peaches, prunes,
and finally for raisins, and il can be
worked on much smaller margin. In a
district where no extra help was needed
save IN the prune seasons, il would be
about as much trouble to get a crew to-
gether and train them for two or four
weeks work as TO pay them. The time
will come when prunes will be handled
very much as wheat is turned into flour,
and 1t may be as much the custom to
keep sack of prunes on hand as it is to
keep sack of flour.
AS they become a staple article of food
with the masses we can safely increase
our planting, but we must remember