Sept. '1, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 7*5 



ie(}uii-e to he sorted over, so that aiiv whit-li is not quite dry may be allowed 

 to stand for another half-day oi' so. The di'ied fruit should be taken fi-oni 

 the traj-s, and put into clean calico ba.^s inniiediately and securely tied, so 

 that the moths may not reach it. When sorting over in the above mannt-r, 

 any fruit whicli is small or of bad appearance should not be mixed up with 

 the good, but removed -AwtX stored in separate bags, and marked as inferior ; 

 wliile the good can also be marked accordi)igly. When the fruit is dried and 

 bagged it should be at once stored in a cool, dry place ; if expostnl to lieat. it 

 will become hard, lose in weight, and deteriorate in quality. 



Should, by any mischance, the moths have got into the fruit and deposited 

 their eggs therein, an etfectual means of cleaning or ridding such infested 

 fruit is to dip it into l)oiling hot water f<tr a few seconds, and then spread on 

 trays and allow to dry by exposure to the sun's rays for a few liours. 



Fruit thus dipped will not keep its colour long, consequently it should be 

 disposed of as qui(;klv as ])ossible. Its appearance would be impr<jved if it 

 was put in the fumigatoi- again and allowed to remain about one and a half 

 hour Vjefore packing. 



Peach-Drying. 



The process of drying peaches is very similar to that followed with apricots, 

 but there are so many hundreds of poor varieties grown that it is very 

 difficult to find peaches that make a first-class or commercial fh-ied fruit. A 

 freestone is really tlie only variety to grow foi- drying purposes, and one with 

 a firm, yellow flesh, n(jt too juicy, anrl above medium size. A peach of this 

 description will make the very best connnercial article, and one which, when 

 properly dried and packed, would bring the highest price. .V clingstone 

 ))eacli will dry, but will not sell so readily, and brings a much lower price. 

 It is true it will not (h'v away so much, but with the market as it is, with 

 keen competition from America, it will not pay the grower to place an 

 inferior article on the market, for three reasons, viz.: — (1) Inferior fruits 

 placed on the market tend to lower the prices of good fruits ; (2) they sell 

 at such low prices that it barely pays the grower for his work in picking, 

 curing, packing, and marketitpg ; (.3) they are usually the last fruits on the 

 market to be sold, and very few wholesale dealers care to handle them, and, 

 in consequence, will accept almost any offer to get rid of them. 



I have already named certain good varieties which are especially worthy of 

 notice. 



Although in California peeled peaches ha\e always brought a much higher 

 price than the unpeeled, they have not, in Australia, sold for sutficiently 

 moi'e to pay the gr iwer for the extra trou'de of peeling, and in consequence 

 nearly all dried peaches found fui the market are unpeeled. With some 

 vaiieties it is found that the skin will slip ofl" (juite easily with a slight 

 pressu'e of the thumb and finger immediately after the fruit has been 

 fumigated, while othei- varieties rrquire the use of a j teach- peeling machine. 



For drying, the peaches should be cut evenly in halves, placing them on 

 the trays with the cut side up. in every way similar to the apricot, except 



