The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-23
CHEAP FRUIT DIFFERS.
For the Benefit. of the: NeftIl-
west Growers Association.
SECRETARY .cLA8kE's PLANS.
Tn, Most KnseIens and Economical
Process By W hich 30 DFy the
Coming Fruit Crop.

n. y
steadily increased its nfeu,bership. aua
subjects Of interest to the groEers have
been the subject Of many papers sent out
bv the association. The last timely paper
oil vital Importance is the one just issued
bv = A. Clarke. secretary Of the ass0cia-
ton. on fruit drying in which he Turn
isles the following as effective driers thst
can be easily pat up at small cost.
'0ne Of the most jJI'portsnt questions
for fruit growers NJ the present prne -
what = the most efficient and econonl@cal
PROCESS to dry our fruit1
sssslifornia depends on the suns heat.
Her fruit growers expose their raisins,
prunss. apples. pears. peaches. hgs and
apricots spread on wooden trays ana
piaced on acres uf drying ground, 10 DC
exaporated by the suns rays. Nature iu-
snres them sunshine for this purposes
though IL requires nearly - many days
there "a il does hours With Us where We
use artificial heat
ssWhese fuel is so abundant as 10 cost
merely the labor OF cutting and hauling
wood 10 the drier, and the drIer Is busEa on
good heating principles. the expense OF
curing fruit II not mnci more than by the
long process of the>sun's heat, though Cal
iforn3ans have several advantages that de-
serve attention. /. Curing III the sun IN
sures better0 average SUCCESS. as y dries
more evenly than IS otherwise possible,
IL yon place unripe frult IN artificial heat
IL will shrink and possess pesther coios or
substance, as IL will ieck the saecharihe
that comes xith ripeness II the same
fruit IL exposed TO the suns ravs 10 will ~
least partially mature and ripen while II -
curing, and SO will make saccharlne 10
some extent. Small fruit that viii dry too
hard In such hcat5siii not dry 50 hard IN
natural and moderate suns heat 2. frui;
"a. 81. fang tn
- per cent more net weight cured than
when rapidly eyaporated by artineiAi
heat
There is much TO be said IN favor OF
artificial heat. as it does speedy work
and is far more cleanly than where fruit Is
spread for weeks in the sun, posed To
insect depred atoms and 10 the dust and
sand that blows in the air. No doubt we
can make nicer cured frults IN some re-
spects, aud the inner navor that comes
from soil aud climate must9giye our pro-
duct preference ia lpTnaTkets
"As We cannot use sunshine We must
study 90 secure the best and most ecoTom-
icai results from artificial heat and learn
oil that nature has 10 teach7 ns1aso to the
rules We are TO follow. tirst, as 81 the fruit
itself: II must be perfectly ripe when
evaporated. That is, the sacchatine must
be fully developed. SO the cured product
will be heavy and rich. owith perfect pa
turity.
s'If you wish to realize what this means
take three small -lots OF any-fruit--say
prunes2-and try 10 dry them. Jet one fot5
be very ripe indeed, another not SO fully,
ripe and still smother that has not become
soft though IL seems 10 have madeitS
growth. Have each2Iot carefully evapUE-
ated and you Will see inca hiosfeeptoihdt
the first Is a rich and heavy prodtFst, per-
feet, and the others less apddess perfect rs
food and less heavy as weight. Remember
always that average dealers and consumers
know good fruit When they see II and
measure the price By Inequality, and you
have she question plainly petore9y ou1
lit seems. then. THAI great care must be
taken TO have fruits perfectly ripe, and il
cannot be toeuEsPe u IL Is sound. The next
thug is To secure the best and most eco
nomical method for curing frulk IL must
be chenpfy done. becausethe price of fruit
will not justify great expense. IL must be
well done, or the fruit will notGbe Market
able. IL should not be done too rapidly,
rs that will SHRINK it too much. and the
weight of frulf dried regulates the price.
The more flesh of the fruit retained the
greater the excellence. Therefore, We
should merely expel surplus moisture,
leaving enough TO hold the sacchastne aad
aibumen inca preserved form. '5fhe flesh
of prnne should have n bright and neatyr
quality. and not beoodried t6 skin and
"a haze beer drying fruit foE7 twelve
years With such success that my product
has stood we'll in ST. Pan.7 Montana and
Portland as choice primes. CAti the time
have been nnsatjsiied. The fbuif was
not good enough, owas not dried equally
enough: during the past year. especially
/ have studied the qnesti8hy have visited
fruit driers all over our region. TO deter
mine that the plan OF Mr.. Carson is the
most natural.
This IL 90 secure current -of hot air
over and under each tray 20 carry oil tho
moisture with sufficient drAaght and not
leave a body OF irait q sweat Pa its own
yapors. q
THE principle is discovered, but the ay,-
ptication otat has been faulty. Mr. III h.
noschs of Portland, On a small scale, aud
Dr. a. sharples. OF Eugene. GA a large
scale. eiaim6to.have successfully used tho
idea that y a. suggested boy A. III, Carson.
OF Grants Pass.
"nr Sharples l. now reconstructinr his
evaporation So that be can turn OF at least
four tons Of cured fruit day of twenty
four hours. For this -he Is having made
heavy castings to gown his furnaces /;
combustion chambers 10 Consume smoke
and save fuel wlth extensive rarrohca-
lions Of pipes through which 70 draw the
carrent aud thus greaLly increase the de-
gree OF heat SIX
Carrying cat his idea on smaller NJ an.
one eau build dFief twenty feet long and
about fiteen deot wide, With furnace OF
fsrehrlck, archet Qbe three feet high aud
thirty inches wide. With ash and draueht
room underneath The furnace To be en-
closed In elGht-lnch brick walls as least
ten feet high and six ie4t y de- TIE fruit
drying chamber t0Cbe vet ahEsxc this and
tbe hog atpchAmtsegs 90 he carried NJ a.
high as tac trays extsat. the same wid Ia
81 SIX feet Dr. Sha&JAes has seventeen
trays on the skde aDdodhable furnaces. but
with . single furnsce one 7eoald have Ten
ormere trays On each side. sud have thuso
trays thirty inches wide and taree feet
long. - slant about six iache< ia the
thirty and shove in from the outside &
heiaE arranged 70 leave srace gar ghe
escape II the hot air. Ire rsPess 81 which
Is controlled 7ey marrow DreYicex Ten alonx
the upper edge of9the tFsy that hosas the
fruit These spaces cOrrespond 20 the
pressure andocsgl9 commence At aue-foursh
~ az inch NTH tne top tray and Increase
tGone and oEe-foursA inches at the bottom.
tao INCREASE balag a tentaC 81 IA inch ~
c eacA tray.
To secure sufficient heat there should
bc a return pilse iFegn tlte end Of TIRE are
b ieA tUteac& ta1ea from coilar % eleven
iaeAtSt cclt5r AID FIRST elbow maste s{
s0eai; a--soo5oes MasLs % steel and the
piiVs INSIDE 90 bea; heavy ioan, This
seNsn-auch TtpeC sosss forward then re-
tu5ns snOsso ntTie-.aca pipeA Ana shAse
5a1u0l1 another larEs c6as&f aad enter
ptick u4e, - he vel fusR on tse oatSs4e
sh'ch should SO ~ haEhl 90 make : eood
dsRash. ~
"las 5spsoc frosn aAe 4.sp If ths VAL
UneeT the9tgzyS. sh08ti Re we0 ioared
Nith stafas Ife same as thc travs have
tae Outer sp9ce. for tic eseafo ~ hog ar.
can ov caTEicsi Up q he TOP uf the hSt an
saantsSz- zad then eXaenss5l an tea tset