DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 



21 



slightly flaring toward the bottom, and with 

 two ventilating holes in each of the four 

 sides. The frame, which rests on this base, 

 is made of strips of wood 1 or 1^4 inches wide. 



FIG. 8. Home-made drier of galvanized iron, 

 for use on stove. 



Wooden strips, 1> inches wide, and 3 inches 

 apart, serve to brace the sides and furnish 

 supports for the trays. 



In a Drier of the dimensions given there 

 is room for eight trays. The sides, top and 

 back are of galvanized iron or tin sheets, 

 tacked to the framework, although thin 



FIG. 9. Home-made drier with swinging crane. 



strips of wood may be used instead of the 

 metal. Small hinges and thumb-latch are 

 provided for the door. Galvanized sheet 

 iron, with numerous small holes in it, is 

 used for making the bottom of the Drier. 

 To prevent direct heat from coming in con- 



tact with the product, and also to distribute 

 the heat by radiation, a piece of galvanized 

 sheet iron is placed 2 inches above the bot- 

 tom. This piece is 3 inches shorter and 3 

 inches narrower than the bottom and rests 

 on two wires fastened to the sides. 



The trays are made of wooden frames of 

 1-inch strips, to which is tacked galvanized 

 wire screen. Each tray should be 3 inches 

 shorter than the Drier and enough narrower 

 to allow it to slide easily on the supports in 

 being put in or taken out. 



In placing the trays in the Drier push the 

 lower one back as far as it will go, leaving 

 a 3-inch space in front. Place the next tray 

 even with the front, leaving the space at 

 the back. Alternate all the trays in this 

 way, to facilitate the circulation of the 

 heated air. It is well to have a ventilating 

 opening, 6 by 2 inches, in the top of the 

 Drier to discharge 

 moisture. The 

 trays should be 

 shifted during the 

 drying process, to 

 procure uniform- 

 ity of drying. 



One of the sim- 

 plest forms of 

 homemade Drier FlG ia Commercial drier, 

 is a tray with bottom of galvanized wire 

 screen, suspended over stove or range, as 

 shown in Fig. 12. 



Commercial Driers 



Cookstove Driers are in the market in 

 several types. One of these, shown in Fig. 

 7, has 'a series of trays in a framework, 

 forming a compartment. This is placed on 

 top of the stove. A similar drier is shown 

 in Fig. 10. Another, shown in Fig. 6, 

 is a shallow metal box to be filled with 

 water, and so constructed that one end may 

 rest on the back of the stove and the other on 

 a prop reaching to the floor, or it may be 

 suspended over a lamp. 



Commercial Driers having their own fur- 

 naces may be bought at prices ranging from 

 $24 to $120. This type is pictured in Fig. 

 11. Some of these, in the smaller sizes, may 

 be bought without furnaces, and used on the 

 top of the kitchen stove, as Fig. 7. The cost 

 is from $16 upwards. 



AIR-BLASTELECTRIC FAN 



The use of an electric fan is an effective 

 means of Drying. Fig. 15 shows how this 

 household article is used. A motor fan run 

 by kerosene or alcohol serves the same pur- 

 pose. Sliced vegetables or fruits are placed 

 on trays and the fan placed close to one end 

 of the box holding the trays, with the current 



