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then allowed, to cool, is turned on the trays, and subjected to another 

 heating of a hundred and forty to a hundred and forty-five degrees. The 

 process of cooling and turning is again repeated, and then a third and 

 final heathig is given, this time the temperature being raised to about a 

 hundred and seventy degrees. This method is practised generally by the 

 smaller growers in France, but of late years the larger and more 

 enterprising manufacturers make use of evaporators, which do the work 

 more effectively, rapidly, and at far less cost for labour. In some parts 

 of Europe and generally in California, sun drying is the common methoil 

 of making Prunes. The fruit, when gathered, is usually graded, or 

 sorted into various sizes, as the work of drying is facilitated when each 

 tray contains Plums uniform in size and quality. Special grading 

 machines are in use in America, but the work can be fairly well performed 

 by passing the fruit over a slightly inclined plane with openings or slots 

 of varying width at intervals, through which the Plums drop according 

 to their size. The fruit may also be quickly graded by passing it through 

 trays of wire netting with meshes of various widths. In Californian 

 practice, before the fruit is placed upon the drying trays it is dipped for 

 half a minute in a boiling hot solution of one pound of concentrated lye 

 and ten gallons of water. The object of this dipping is to remove the 

 bloom and at the same time slightly crack the skins and facilitate the 

 work of drying. Great care must be taken not to immerse the fruit 

 longer than the time mentioned, as otherwise the skins will crack too 

 much, and there will be a loss of sugar. When dipped the fruit should 

 be placed in baskets, boxes, or buckets with open wire bottoms or sides. 

 After the fruit has been dipped it should be thoroughly rinsed in cold 

 water to remove traces of the lye, and then spread out upon the drying 

 trays. The rime required for drying will necessarily depend upon the 

 size of the Plums and the weather, and may vary from a week to a month. 

 When the fruit has been sufficiently dried, it should be placed in bins or 

 boxes to slightly ferment, or " sweat," for about a fortnight. During this 

 process the fruit should be turned and mixed frequently by shifting from 

 one box to another, in order to prevent over-strong fermentation and 

 cause evenness in quality. When sufficiently sweated the fruit is dipped 

 a second time in boiling water plain or with the addition of glucose 

 glycerine, salt, or colouring matter. The object of the dipping is to kill 

 any insect or fungoid germs, and the various additions are supposed to 

 deepen the colour and give a gloss to the fruit. After the second dipping 

 the fruit is again spread upon the trays and exposed to the sun for two 

 or three hours, when it will be ready for packing. In packing care 

 should be taken that when the cases are opened the fruit will appear to 

 the best advantage. The boxes should be carefully lined with white 

 paper, and the top layer of the fruit ought to be nicely faced, or 

 flattened. This facing can be readily effected by flattening some of the 

 fruit between rollers and placing it regularly at the bottom of the boxes. 

 These are then filled tightly and fastened so that when opened out the 

 part first filled will be the top of the box. The boxes ought to be uniform 

 in shape and size, and should be made to hold ten, twenty-five, and fifty 

 pounds respectively. As regards size, the first grade will be Prunes that 



