62 OTJE COMMON FETJITS. 



tlie most fleshy and bearing the most bloom, are the finest 

 for the purpose. In order that the beautiful bloom may 

 be retained even in their dried state, they are gathered 

 very carefully before sunrise by taking hold of their stalks 

 without touching the fruit, and laid one by one, and free 

 from contact with each other, on vine-leaves placed in 

 ' baskets, being left thus for two or three days, when they 

 are submitted to the same process as the humbler Prunes. 

 The latter are made in very many places, but those from 

 the neighbourhood of Tours are considered the best, and 

 various kinds are employed ; a nearly black sort, called 

 the Prune d'Agen, being one of the commonest. When 

 shaken from the trees, the first which fall are rejected as 

 being probably worm-eaten; the rest are placed in an 

 oven slightly heated and shut close for 24 hours, then 

 taken out, and the next day put in again, the oven having 

 been heated this time to 80. After another cooling in- 

 terval, they are exposed to a temperature of 100 ; then 

 taken out and left till cold, when, in the case of some 

 sorts, they are rounded by turning the stone without 

 breaking the skin, and, after this process, are replaced in 

 the oven, the heat of which is again reduced to 80 ; and 

 this time not only is the door closed, but every crevice is 

 stopped with clay or dried grass. After an hour of this 

 close confinement they are released, and a cup of cold 

 water being put into the oven, by the time that this is 

 just as warm as a finger put into it can bear, they are 

 once more exposed to the fiery ordeal for another 24 

 hours, at the end of which period that white dustiness 

 manifests itself which is to them what the bloom is to the 

 growing fruit ; and should they now require any more 

 drying they must receive it at once, for this delicate 

 efflorescence is lost if they are now re-heated after having 

 once been suffered to cool ; an artificial bloom, produced 

 by means of indigo, being then sometimes substituted by 

 the unprincipled. Those employed judge when the dry- 

 ing process is complete by the look of the fruit, and sel- 

 dom are mistaken a matter of some importance, since if 

 insufficiently dried the fruit would not keep, and if left 

 too long becomes hard, and is then little esteemed. In 



