The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-06-07
NEW WAY OF HANDLING PRUNES

lOiI III pIubt BlOWlHS III dDOuI ~ yCoiS, |
and l am pleased to make contribution
to the "Dried Fruit Edition." Under !
the present management the Press has
greatly improved, the editorials especi-
ally being able and interesting.
Believing my location on the Santa
Cruz mountains to be well adapted, in
soil and climate, to the growth of the
prune, began setting them out early in
my orchard work, and have year by
year increased my acreage till | now
have about ten thousand trees which
promise large crop of very fine fruit
this year.
Perforating Instead OF Dipping.-Hav-
ing written on prune culture before,
will continue this article to my expert
ence last season with machine that
perforated the prunes with needles. The
lye-cutting contrivances had become ex-
pensive, troublesome and unsatisfactory
to my mind, and was glad to avail my
self Of the ingenuity of a neighbor-a
practical prune-grower-who made for
me needle machine that promised to
do good work. The idea was to cut the
skin OF the prune by passing it over
bed of needles with the grader motion.
The machine was placed on floor about
l2x12 with roof and open sides built
near my grader. AS q rule, about five
tons OF prunes were gathered and graded
each day by p. M, and were passed
over the needles and put out on drying
ground in trays by 6 p. M, thus doing
good days work and saving the heating
and injury resulting from standing over
night. Even in boxes in this way ripe
fruit can be handled promptly.
Gathering.-My practice in gathering
prunes is to pick up the first fall of ripe
prunes and then in about a week gently
shake the trees upon canvas, getting
only ripe fruit that would soon fall.
Then in another week or so shake again
on canvas, and, after that, when the re-
naming fruit is ripe, shake and pick
from ground, as too many leaves will
fall for use of cloth. Four such efforts
in about months time will gather the
prunes ripe for drying. Growers must
bear in mind that green, immature
prunes will not make salable, mer-
charitable article of food. The grader,
of course, removed leaves, etc, so the
prunes passed clean over needles which
perforated them so thoroughly that they
dropped from the needle board on to the
tray almost dripping wet, the water
bursting out, as it were, from every hole.
After being out about week on trays,
they were brought in, cured and placed
in bins to heat for at least two weeks,
when they were ready to market. 1t is
advisable to shovel them over on the
floor in bins to more evenly cure.
Time of Curing.-The length of time
they must be kept out on the trays to
properly cure SO as to keep well depends
upon the climate. At my elevation,
1900 feet, and consequent dry atmos-
hpere, one week is usually sufficient,
while on the coast, where fogs and damp
air prevail, driers are used. In closing,
| will state briefly the points of advan-
tage that needle-perforating has over
lye-cutting
l. 1t breaks the skin more generally
and consequently prunes dry more
evenly and in less time.
2. The prune retains its sugar and
fruity substance and presents richer
and more glossy appearance than the
partially lye-cooked skins of Other
prunes.
8. 1t yields heavier prune, dried
fol its size, my crop drying substantially
two pounds to one.
4. Buyers and consumers were SC
well satisfied with my last crop, which
brought full prices, that they want all ]
will have this year.
have no interest in the sale or manu-
facture of the machine, and only write
about it because | believe it to be o
interest and real value to those engaged
in drying fruit.
The Burrell prune machine witt
grader attachment is on exhibition il
San Jose by the owners, Messrs. Burrel
& Dodge, to whom application can b.
made for further information II
Aiken, IN Rural Press.