The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-24
portions any discussion of methods of cur
ing is both timely and profitable

portions any discussion of methods OF cur
ing is both timely and profitable.
care must be taken to gather the frulI
fuil ripe but not overripe, and above all
not green. Green fruit dries to nothing
dark little chips without value or weight
YET we enough IN appearance to lower the
grade and lessen the value OF the pack.
Overrlpe fruit spreads out and presents an
untldy appearance, and while not unwhole-
some like the unripe fruit, yet like 1T 1t
Injuries the selling value of the whole.
l have not seen what I consider per-
feet pitting machine yet, and recourse
must still be had to hand pitting. The
frult should be cut entirely around and the
pit llfted out, not squeezed out nor pushed
through the end. Careless pitters some
Tunes adopt this method and injure the
fruit In appearance so treated.
Drylng-grounds should be kept clean and
free from dust, and strips 1x3 laid on the
ground and the trays laid on them. l
have found this gives better satisfaction
than laying the trays on the ground.
Proper thinning of the fruit should be
done so as to produce fair-sized fruit, as
consider 1t more profitable for drying pur-
poses than overlarge or small fruit.
Probably the most important item IN
drying is the bleaching. The trade de-
mands bleached fruit, and the producer
must furnish it or he will soon go to the
wall; but he should certainly furnish it in
the least Objectionable form. Any more
sulphur than is required to properly bleach
the fruit is useless and probably injurious.
After several experiments, concluded
that one pound of sulphur to seventy
fruit trays, two and half and three feet
and holding about twenty pounds of fruit
each, was amply sufficient, and have not
used more than that amount for the past
four years, and leave the fruit in the
SULPHUR box from three TO four hours, or
until 1t shows signs of sweating.
Properly ripe fruit requires less time to
bleach than overripe or green fruit. Thor
oughly ripe fruit sulphured in this way
Immediately after it is cut is not strong
acid 1t retains its strength, it looks better
and, think, is better than unsulphured
fruit.
Time required for drying varies accord
ing to the fruit and condition of the
weather. Apricots dry in three to four
days; peaches from four to six days.
When the fruit is about two-thirds dry it
should be stacked up and allowed to cure
in the shade from two to three days. The
fruit should be taken from the trays in the
middle of the day, as worms are less liable
to bother than when taken from the trays
in the morning or evening.
The fruit should be put in the sweat
boxes and allowed to remain for about ten
days; then it is ready for packing.
The Santa Rosa Democrat says: Reports
of a short peach crop come In from all
quarters, but in nearly every instance an
exception is made in favor of the Muir.
This popular variety is native of Cali
fornia, a stanch friend at all times, and
should be well remembered by those who
set new orchards next season.
Richard Eaton informs the Oroville Reg
lister that at Palermo it has been observed
this year that all those orchards that were
literally irrigated early in the season re-
tanned the oranges on the trees. The
groves that were irrigated very late lost
more oranges than any others. The heat
and north wind combined caused many
oranges to fall, but the loss was trifing in
the groves we'll irrigated. while large in
those where water was applied late.
In an article on the subject of Santa
Clara County orchards, the San Jose Mer-
curry says: P. Curtis, on the Doyle road,
has an extra fine crop of apricots. He
thinks this is due to late irrigation. Last
year he put in new irrigating plant of
great capacity, and has used it literally.
His last irrigation commenced on June 80
and ended July 3. He thinks this pre-
vented the fruit from dropping. He has
sold his apricots for $50 straight.
This account of appreciate profits in
some branches of horticulture is given by
the Napa Register: We met Santa Clara
Valley orchardist at Pacific Grove the
other day who had just sold his fruit crop
of forty acres (peaches, prunes and plums)
delivered on the trees for $5700-one-half
cash, balance at end of the season. His
two acres of cherries he had previously
sold for $500. These were likewise picked,
packed and moved from the premises by
the buyer. A profitable business and a
neat way of doing it,
The Fresno Expositor says that William
Dunlap, at his place in Burrough Valley,
has the largest and most productive apple
orchard in Central California. Mr.. Dun
lap planted this orchard during the months
of February and March, 1889, and for the
past two years many Fresno people have
appreciated the excellent quality of the
apples grown thereon, they being rich in
flavor and entirely free from scale and
worms. That there will be large crop of
extra fine fruit produced this season is al
ready assured; all of which goes to show
that Fresno County fruit-growers are not
confined to producing perfect grapes,
peaches, pears apricots, figs, oranges and
lemons, but that large crops of apples of
far superior quality to that of any shipped
here from other parts of this State and
Oregon may be raised at home by an intel
ligent selection of varieties and soil,
coupled with energetic cultivation and
proper handling of the fruit.