The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-05-17
TO TILLERS OF THE SOIL
Hints That May Prove Of Benefit 10
Our keIghbOTs'
Articles d Und0uhied Worth 10 The Farmer, Collected
From Reliable Sources,
DRYING APRICOTS.

| mower ana lrulJ from JIle trees ! IlShNc
half crops everywhere, though the season
of blossoming promised never so well.
There is something almost pathetic in
the way the enthusiastic fruit-grower
will keep daily watch of his trees, know
ing himself at the mercy of the elements.
He has done the best he can, and now
chance must have its Ginger in the pie"
to make or mar; yet it is lucky for him
if he has done his best, if he knows what
best is, as to system of pruning-above
all, keeping the trees thoroughly cleaned
out of all dead wood and spurs. 1t is all
the difference of no crop and half crop
such year as this and we all know that
half loaf is better than none" But
if the crop be small he should exert all
the more care in perfecting every detail
OF management, making expenses OF
drying as small as possible and no fruit
go to waste. Here is where the small
fruit grower, who dries in his own or
cbard, has percepitable advantage.
have estimated year after year that
as | can at least make 2l2 cents per
pound net profit per annum from my
apricots and am offered only one cent a
pound q am estimating on the green
'coD, it pays me to dry. and my
family can make good wages, and can
afford to hire all the help | need.
consider, also, that apricots dried on
the spot are much superior to those
picked and carted to factory or dry
house elsewhere. The reason is obvious.
The fruit is put to drying when fresher.
But, more than this, it can be dried
when ripper. This means great deal.
Nothing that can be done to fruit, as far
as making it look nice is concerned, can
make that which is picked under-ripe
and then dried, equal that which is
picked dead-ripe and then dried. To
the very moment OF full ripeness, nature
is celebrating richness, a sweetness, II
delicacy of flavor, that nothing else can
initiate. But it takes the experienced,
initiated taste to detect such differences,
so let it be understood that all my talk
on drying apricots is for those vino dry
in the orchard.
Fruit from the Trees-When picking
time comes | have the ground III my or
chard under the trees as smooth and free
from clods as | conveniently can. Then,
as the fruit ripens, l have my pickers
gently jar the trees and Immediately
pick up the fallen fruit carefully, which
is as quickly as possible taken to the
cutters. And right here l will say that
| do not believe in any cutting or pitting
machine for the apricot, that ever has or
ever will be invented. In order to use a
machine you must have your fruit too
hard-a double waste in weight and
quantity. No fruit need to go to waste
by the process OF picking | have men
toned, unless it be the very little green
which may jar off, and not near so much
as would rub off were the pickers to
climb about in the trees. (And this
green fruit my wife makes into jelly.)
Ready for the Cutters-Towards eve
ming, however, there must be fruit left
over night for the cutters to begin on
early in the morning. This fruit have
picked by hand, as it will keep better.
We have generally paid cutters-they
clay" and cut both, of course-l5 cents
per 75-pound box. This is more than
some pay; but have better help at this
price.
The Tray.-The ideal tray, to my
mind, on which to dry apricots is 2x3
feet and made of shakes, smooth side up,
with inch stuff for sides and half-inch
for ends, and cross-piece underneath.
This is an important point to me, trivial
as it sounds, for look ahead to save
wear and tear. Some make inch stuff
for ends and half-inch for sides. But
this way the sides are apt to spring when
weighted and piled high, and hence
many will pry off in one seasons use.
Not so the other way, according to my
experience, for, you see, with inch sides,
springing is not only prevented but the
end piece, which must be Tapped on, can
have two nails in it; and in the stay or
cross-piece underneath, larger nail can
be used. A mechanical eye can see by
this that the parts of the tray are tied
together as it were, and must necessarily
be sitter in handling and more durable.
generally allow 80 trays per ton OF
green fruit, calculating it takes from
four to five days to dry the fruit. Stretch
ers for carrying the loaded trays must
be strongly made, of size to hold two
piles of trays, and any style otherwise to
suit your fancy. The number of stretch
ers is according to size of orchard or crop
and methods OF handling and sulphur
ing. AS to amount of fruit to be laid on
each tray, one must know enough of the
matter, by doing it himself, to be able
to watch the cutters carefully and see
that he lays the fruit well, skin side
down and pretty well crowded on the
trays. And the fruit must be cut evenly
in two-a clean cut-leaving no shred of
attachment, or the halves will not dry
in good shape. Very soft fruit must be
deity shaped little when laid down.
How to Sulphur.-And now to sui
phuring and the sulphur box: l shall
not say word on the much discussed
question OF sulphuring, only this: While
one has to sulphur to compete with the