31 VI'K AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 207 



us to give them the best. Owing to Low prices east for their evaporated apples 

 our own stock has ruled rather dull this year, hut there ueed be nodiscour- 



agemenl in this to the producer-, as next year may entirely reverse this 

 order of things and send figures again to a very remunerative basis. 



We are pleased to state that the Australian Colonies have become very 

 large purchasers of both our sun-dried and evaporated apples, as well as 

 many of our other dried fruits. 



In bleaching apples the greatesl care must be exercised to have them as 

 white as possible; and all discolored fruit that comes from the dryer, as well 

 as fruit with cores or skins left on, should be picked out, and a second 

 grade made of the same. 



Evaporated Apricots. — We place the product, all told, at 350,000 pounds, 

 or over treble that of 1884; and. as a rule, the fruit this year was turned 

 out in better shape than ever before, being more evenly bleached and more 

 carefully graded and packed. The bulk of the fruit found sale in various 

 eastern markets, from which sources the demand principally comes, very 

 little heing consumed at home. By eastern people our evaporated apricots 

 appear to be considered one of the choicest, if not the choicest of all Califor- 

 nia fruits, and at reasonable prices, there seems to be no limit to the possi- 

 bilities of this fruit. To sustain its reputation, however, increased vigilance 

 must be exercised in bleaching, grading, selecting, and packing. 



After coming from the dryer, all over-ripe, unbleached, or burnt fruit must 

 be taken out, and only the choicest packed. Let the rejections sell for what 

 they will bring in sacks. 



Evaporated Peaches. — This fruit makes a very respectable showing for 

 1885, and has met with increased favor. Producers generally acted upon 

 our suggestions, and bleached the fruit, which gave it a bright and hand- 

 some color, and while the sale of the unpeeled stock has been good, and 

 supplies at the moment left here are comparatively light, with a little lower 

 price next year, and yet remunerative to the grower, we anticipate a largely 

 increased demand. 



In peeled evaporated peaches the demand has largely exceeded the sup- 

 ply, and probably five times the quantity we produced could easily have 

 been placed on eastern account. We advise, for 1886, that more attention 

 be given to evaporated peeled peaches, as the best California fruit is finer 

 than anything produced East. 



To bring about the best results, however,. the same careful attention 

 must be given to its selection, grading, etc., as is necessary with apples, 

 apricots, and, in fact, the whole line of evaporated goods. 



Evaporated Plums. — The stock of sun-dried plums has been so large, and 

 of such general good quality, and so low in price, that the evaporated have, 

 in a measure, been neglected, though all the trade who buy fine goods 

 include in their order evaporated plums. 



The California pitted plum makes one of our very finest table sauces, 

 and its sale is being constantly extended. 



California Peanuts. — We place the crop of 1885 at 500,000 pounds, a 

 little falling off from 1884, on account of low prices which have prevailed, 

 but as the same condition of affairs has existed among the peanut-growers 

 of the East we do not see that our people should complain. 



California can and does produce as good a peanut as is grown in the 



