304 AGRICULTURE ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



to prevent loss of moisture during the dry season. This is 

 apt to make the soil lose much humus by sunburn; so we 

 must then grow greenmanure crops, or use plenty of stable 

 manure, to give it back. But any such crop growing during 

 summer in arid countries will take much moisture from the 

 land; it should, if possible, be grown in winter and be plowed 

 under in spring; weeds must not be allowed to grow in summer. 



In harvesting all fruits it is very important not to 

 allow them to be chafed or bruised (page 231), as this 

 will cause early decay and make them unsalable. And 

 after gathering, the fruit should be kept in a cool, dry 

 place unless wanted at once for drying or canning. If 

 it is to be shipped a long distance, it should, if possible, 

 be cooled with ice before being put in the car, as it will 

 then keep much better. 



For drying and canning, apples and pears are sliced after 

 peeling and coring. Peaches and apricots are sometimes 

 canned whole after taking the skin off by dipping in hot lye, 

 or peeling. But mostly they are halved and the pit taken 

 out. Plums and prunes are dried after dipping in lye to 

 thin the skin, or after pricking with needle points, or both, 

 when they dry most rapidly. The fruit is then spread out, 

 whole, in the sun, on trays that keep them off the ground. 

 Figure 167 shows how this is done. In damp weather, or 

 when the Weather Bureau sends warning of rain, these trays 

 are stacked and covered with tarpaulin. 



Sun-dried fruit is mostly " sulphured/' by burning sulphur 

 under it in closed boxes, first in the freshly cut and then in 

 the dried condition, to prevent fermentation, kill insect eggs, 

 and to produce a light color. 



