The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-05-17

self, make large enough to hold two
piles of my 2x3 trays, ID in pile, i. e.,
30 trays, and leave room at one end for
the pan | burn my sulphur in, /. E., 6
feet long, 3 feet high, 81 feet wide, in
side measure.
AS to quantity of sulphur for box Of
such a size, use one coffee-cupful best
California sulphur, leaving the fruit in
gas one hour; and as to quantity of sui
phur and rules therefore, let me remark
in passing that one must use enough to
fill the given space with the sulphurous
acid gas--that is guage your quantity OF
sulphur by the cubic contents of your
box, not by the number OF trays. My
method of burning my sulphur is very
simple. | take newspaper, crumple 1t
very compactly so as to make pockets
all over it, lay it in a pan IAN oil can
split in two sprinkle my sulphur in
these pockets, crowding it down, set the
pan by my piles OF trays, and, before |
let the box slide over them, set this
paper afire. 1t is simple but Efficient. |
generally allow five pounds OF sulphur
for ton OF green fruit.
Each time l sulphur have my trays
piled right by the place where they are
to be spread on the drying ground.
When their hour is up, off comes the
box to go over the next pile, and then
the suiphured trays are spread out to
the sun.
The Sulphur One word as to the
sulphur box: 1t is curious fact that
one can get the box too tight. There
must be little ventilation in the upper
part so that the gas can replace the air,
or else the bleaching of the upper trays
will be incomplete; also have your pan
of sulphur on that end OF the box which
is toward the wind. Be sure and have
the paper in the pan so compact that it
will not flash in the burning, and see
that it is well going before letting the
box down over the trays.
In the Sun.-Do not expose the cut
fruit to the sun till after the sulphur
bath. | do not cover my fruit at night
while it is drying, neither do l think it
necessary to look my fruit over to select
out that which is dry. If some dries
before the rest let my trays stand till
all the fruit is dry then leave them
out over night to gather moisture to
soften them. Early the next morning !
examine the fruit. If mositened Just
right-that is pliable, but not sticky
stack the trays Immediately, covering
the top tray with an overturned empty
tray. If the fruit be too moist, let it lie
in the sun till it is just right then stack
and have them put into the sweat boxes
the same day.
Boxing.-Here comes the "scraper,' y
with his 2x4 piece OF steel Cabinet max.
er's wood-scraper) and sCrapes the cots
into the boxes. There they stand fol
a hours or more-to sweat even-that
is, lose all chippiness, get the uniform
waXlness which, with its translucence
makes the dried apricot such an attrac-
tive fruit to look at and very palatabe
also uncooked.
But remember, all on the tray must
have been thoroughly dried before this
moistening and sweating process or the
curing is not well done and the fruit will
ball in the packing, mold and spoil. In
the sweat-boxes, and till sacked, the
fruit must be covered from the moths
With average drying weather the april
cot will sun-dry in four days. Excess
sively hot weather scalds the fruit.
Breezy, moderate weather is best. Pray
that no neighbor keeps bees while you
are drying your apricots. II they do,
insist on your rights, for it is against
the law.
Sacking.-For sacking, use a station
airy box, fashioned to act as funnel and
raised about SO inches from the floor.
There are hooks about it on which to
hang the bags. Dump the fruit through
the wooden funnel in not too big guam
titles at time, for the bags must be
jumped and bounced and crowded with
your hands now and then to make it
pack solid. Well shaken, they will
average So pounds to the bag, regulation
size.
| use soft-laid Irvine, No. 6, and a big
darning needle for sewing up the sacks.
This twine sells generally at 50 cents per
pound, and one-half pound is ample to
sew 100 sacks. Sacks cost from So to 10
cents apiece. When have them made
at home they cost ~ GEMS per sack.
The Best Apricot.-Of all apricots to
dry l think the Early Moorpark is the
most satisfactory. 1t dries a little
quicker than any other apricot l have
handled. 1t is the most prolific of all
apricots, but being red apricot it does
not make so snowy dried fruit as the
Large Early and is not so large as the
latter.
Before l close must again remark the
advantage OF drying fruit close to the
orchard. You can thus dry it dead ripe.
1t is the ripe fruit that makes the dried
fruit sweet and rich and waxy; but the
ripe, juicy fruit, if cut and exposed to
the sun to dry, unsulphured, would turn
black. This is the chief reason why |
believe in little sulphur judiciously
applied.
My orchard dries five pounds of green