State Agricultural Society. 183 



REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES. 



ALDEN FRUIT DRYING COMPANY. 



To the honorable Committee on Awards of Gold Medals: 



Your committee beg leave to report, that in examining the dried fruits 

 on exhibition, they were highly pleased with the excellent quality and 

 great commercial value of the fruit and vegetables entered by George 

 W. Deitzler, President of the Alden Fruit Preserving Company of Cali- 

 fornia. This fruit is not dried, \n the common acceptation of the term, 

 but is preserved in its own juices by the peculiar process, and it is 

 claimed will keep for years in any climate. 



The flavor of the fresh fruits is retained, and it is free from the dark 

 and leathery appearance which is found in sun or kiln-dried fruits. 



The committee have no hesitation in expressing the opinion, that as 

 regards taste, flavor, and appearance, these articles are equal to, if not the 

 best, on exhibition. 



The commercial value of such fruits and vegetables is very great. 

 California can produce in unlimited quantities the finest fruits and vege- 

 tables in the world; and it is equally well known that we have not the 

 resident population to consume these immense productions in their fresh 

 state, and they will not bear transportation to distant markets; neither 

 can we hope to find a remunerating market for inferior dried fruits and 

 vegetables at home or abroad, but for such preserved articles as those 

 under consideration, there is, it seems to us, no danger of overstocking 

 the market, when we consider that there are imported into the United 

 States over fifteen (15) millions of dollars worth of dried fruit, all of 

 which articles can be raised in California, and placed upon the markets 

 in a cured condition infinitely superior to the imported articles. 



In view of these considerations, we deem our articles on exhibition 

 by the Alden Company as worth} T of special notice, and respectfully 

 recommend that the Board of Directors award to the company the gold 

 medal, and give to this valuable and growing industry every possible 

 encouragement. 



W. C. HOPPING, 

 ALFEED BEIGGS, 

 W. E. STEONG. 



