THE MONTHLY Bl Ml lis. 125 



fruit is covered with a roof traj . the idea of the slant being to shed 

 water in ease of rain. To hasten drying it is well to place the stacks 

 lengthwise easl and west so the prevailing wind will blow directly on 

 them. It is not will in stack too close ami gangways should be left for 

 air circulation ami to facilitate handling the fruit. This is light work 

 and is often done l>.\ women who sometimes work under a light portable 

 awning. Cover trays are the same size as the o1 hers, but the bottom con- 

 sists of shakes laid roof fashion or else covered with roofing paper. Pears 

 Stacked thus in the open are not damaged h.\ rain. In the stack in 

 Lake County the pears dry in from two to four weeks and the same 

 tray can only lie used, at most, twice in the season. Some experience 

 is needed in taking the fruit from the travs; if taken off too dry. there 

 is to,, much loss of weight. We take them oil' when rubbery but not 

 mushy soft, and place then in clean boxes, stacking in shed so air can 

 circulate. It is surprising how much more they dry frmn this stage 

 until the end. of the season, when they are reboxed and shipped to Sail 

 Francisco. The orchardisl now gets paid spot cash f. o. b. ranch for the 

 diied peals as SOOI1 as weighed and loaded for shipment, and our prices 

 this year ranged from li cents for culls ( /. e., fruit left after the owner 

 shipped the majority of his pears green) to as high as 11| cents a 

 pound f. o. b. ranch for an entire crop where none were shipped green. 

 Last year one orchard in Big Valley sold s:i..">(l!l worth of pears from 

 seven acres, giving the owner a mt profit of about $2,725. All of the 

 pears, except the late picking, w eiv dried, or in all five and one-half tons. 

 These sold for S ', cents a p. mid f. o. h. ranch, hexed and ready to ship. 

 Even at such high prices as 111 cents, extra fancj pears are always 

 ready sellers, while the poorer grades are usually a drag in the market. 

 Regarding the outlook for dried pears. I think that, as many counties 

 with easy shipping facilities favor packing the green Bartlett in prefer- 

 ence to drying, and as there are vast fields yet unexplored hut available 

 for di ied pears, t here is no danger of overstocking tin- market. Judging 

 by this seas, h and last year, and in spite of Hie European war and the 

 present elimination of Germany (herebefore a heavy buyer of dried 

 pears), we have secured splendid prices; viz.. from 6 to ll 1 Cents per 

 pound f. o. li. ranch. When the European war ends the dried pear 

 industrv should surely boom. 



