New Ulm review., 1918-08-07
HOW TO .lcoNDITIoNo

HE xnI be found advisable to "con-
GErabaR'' practically all dried vegetables
sHsnR Ents. This is best done in small
gEzw hy placing the material in boxes
asrzE pouring it from one box into an
ussaer once day for three or four days,
md xs to- mix it thoroughly and give to
szss whole mass an even degree OF moist
urm III the material is found to be too
sszsssss,, il. should be returned to the dry
ing sfays for short drying. f.
Precautions Against Insects
Twu Hnds of moths stand out pro-
rHinsutFy among the insects that attack
carrsd fruits and vegetables. They are
rnxehF more likely to get into the fruit
ex1ring the process of drying than to find
Easfra way through. boxes into the pro-
eaucts stored inside them. This applies
tsarticularly to drying in the sun.
A small moth called the lndlan-meal
ynnth IS the most destructive insect that
attacks dried fruits and vegetables. 1t
is about three-eighths of an inch long
snd has a cloaked appearance, one
Ghisd gray and the rest copper brown.
THE fig moth is about the same size but
cassrk neutral gray. A minute t1attened
cshncolate-brown beetle usually accom-
sysufss these moths and does considerable
damage. Both of the moths deposit
saafr eggs on fruit when it is on the
drying racks - generally at dusk or after
dark, as they are not fond of daylight.
zH takes from to 10 days for the eggs
IA hatch into whitish or pinkish grub
HE caterpillars and from 5 to lO weeks
5farn the laying of the eggs till the ap-
,xsarance of the moths to lay another
'St u eggs; and since number OF
~Tsyoods'' or generations are produced
,gearly, if a few of these moth eggs are
1ared away on dried fruits or vegetables,
tLlndrpds of caterpillars are produced
md many pounds Of valuable material
,uav he destroyed during the course OF
he gjuter if it is stored in a warm room.
EsrrY, dark bins or dried fruit in sacks
ufa- especially favorable places for
sni7 development 1t is evident that
a2H .4rger the amount of material IN
ssa.kage, the greater the chance OF few
4gyg doing a great deal OF damage.
ScuaII cartons or containers have the
xIyuntage of confning the injury from
ttlesp moths to small quantities OF ma7
Faria{, for, if the containers are closed
zightfy, they cannot easily escape from
iEa=t1 and infest other packages, which
NAY not have been infested previously.
IN sun drying, if the drying racks are
rreenen@ early in the evening and at
night the cheesecloth or fly screen
aatteueu down, and the dried fruit
4uri vegetables stored in tight paper
sacNs n d cool place, no danger Or
aiuzriIy need be feared from these in
z4cts. As an additional precaution,
he dried product, before being stored,
zaa j.. heated to 140 degrees F.. long
xa4gt to allow the heat to penetrate
throughout This will sterilize it if
lGready infested.
n drying by artificial heat, the pro-
@ss itself ordinarily will sterilize the
gndact But after drying it should be
xzrssc promptly, to prevent infestation.
Directions for Packing and Storing
A'sGo1Ggh not necessary, tin cans or
>tz2ss lars make good receptacles for
E4-@gn Of dried fruits or vegetables.
7'oslehcard boxes with tight covers,
@n=E~ paper bags, and patented parafin
9ur@E cartons also afford ample pro-
<actou for d1ieu products when protected