TRANSACTIONS OF WARSAW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 237 



scorching, dust or dirt ; no discoloration or oxygenation, hence tlie 

 natural flavor of the fruit is preserved. He thought the time was at hand 

 when it would be difficult to find sale for fruits dried in the open air, 

 exposed to dust, dirt, flies, and the changes of the weather. He explained 

 that the yellow, or rusty color of the ordinary dried fruit of cornmerce 

 was caused by oxygenation or decay — rotting upon the surface of the 

 pieces of fruit exposed to the air in drying ; that if a good, sound apple 

 is stewed with a little piece of a rotten apple, the same flavor would result 

 as that of the common dried apples ; but that when fruit is rapidly desic- 

 cated in a current of hot air, no such change can take place. 



Some one questioned the principle of passing the moist air, from 

 evaporation, out at the bottom. 



Dr. Hollowbush said cold or moist air would naturally descend to 

 the bottom, and heated air rise to the top. He thought this Hawley pro- 

 cess must be upon the correct principle ; as the hot air would be contin- 

 ually passing in contact with the fruit, becoming cool by absorbing 

 moisture, and thus settle and pass out. 



Some one inquired if, dried by these processes, fruits were exempt 

 from insects. Dr. Hollowbush said Alden fruits, although divested of 

 their moisture, would, on expo.sure, absorb moisture and would be equally 

 liable. 



The question was asked, when and how do insects gain access to 

 fruit, to cause such general deposits of their larvae ? Dr. Le Baron said 

 he was experimenting with fruits put up in glass jars, boxes, sacks and 

 paper bags, with the view to ascertain more on this interesting question. 

 Some thought the eggs are laid on the outside of sacks and near the crev- 

 ices of boxes and barrels ; that the young larva: got through as soon as 

 hatched. Others thought the eggs were laid during the process of drying. 

 The more reasonable inference is that the packages ]jartly exposed, and 

 in many instances left open, attract the moth, when the work of propaga- 

 tion begins, and the brief period required for their transformation is 

 sufficient to stock the fruit with thou.sands of this insignificant little pest. 

 A sack or barrel of dried apples, exposed with the smallest opening, the 

 fruit being taken out as occasion reciuires, gives the moth the best oppor- 

 tunity to penetrate further into the package. 



Mr. Galusha was interrogated as to these rapidly desiccated fruits 

 being sweeter ; as to having a portion of the starch converted to sugar by 

 the new process. He said such appeared to be the results. He intended 

 to have a careful analysis made to have this question settled, as tliere is 

 room for skepticism on this point. It is a fact that it requires less sugar 

 to sweeten any variety of this desiccated fruit than the same variety in a 

 fresh state. 



John S. Johnson inquired of Mr. Galusha how long it required to 

 convert cider into vinegar, who answered forty to fifty days. Mr. McCune 

 asked him to state the process. Mr. Galusha entered into the practical 

 details of the process, which are somewhat complicated, and re(iuire some 

 knowledge of chemical principles when the operator desires to hasten the 

 fermentation. 



