JS THE FRUIT GROWERS GUIDE. 



Dried apples in tins, about 3 pounds each, are retailed at 5d., or 4s. 9d. per dozen tins ; 1 gallon, Is. ; 1 dozen 

 1 gallon tins, 11s. 6d. ; rings 6cl. per pound, to produce which 5 pounds of raw fruit is required. Of the success of 

 drying apples there can be no question, as the object is to drive out the water and retain the more digestible and 

 nutritious components of the fruit, but it is not so much with the principle as with the commercial aspect of the pro- 

 duct we are concerned. It has been tried in Kent and Worcestershire, ami, though the consensus ol opinion is conclu- 

 sive that apples and plums can be thoroughly dried by evaporators, all the saccharine matter being retained, and the 

 produce remarkably good when stewed or made into pies, the practice has not yet been much adopted for commercial 

 purposes. 



The mode of preparing apples for drying in an evaporator is, first to pare them, then to remove the core, and 

 finally to cut them into slices or rings (Fig. 88). The pared apple is submitted to the fumes of sulphur before 

 slicing, this is called " bleaching," and the object is to prevent the discoloration of the fruit. It improves the 

 appearance and does not injure the flavour. Paring, coring, and slicing is done very rapidly by machinery. Tl:e 

 prepared fruit is then placed on wire trays, made to fit inside the drying chamber of the evaporator, and 



Fig. 89. MAYFAETH'S APPLE PABEB, COBEE, AND SLICEB. 



there remains until the whole of the moisture has been abstracted. The time occupied in doing this varies 

 from two and a-half to four or even five hours, according to the kind of apples operated on. After passing through 

 the evaporator, the next thing is to pack the dried fruit in neat boxes which hold 25, 50, or 75 pounds. These boxes 

 are lined with paper. Fifty-pound boxes are those mostly used. They are 24 inches long, 12 inches 

 deep, and 12 inches wide, they are made of -inch stuff (with ends 1 inch), poplar wood being preferred. The evapo- 

 rated fruit, before being used for making pies, larts and compotes, is soaked in water for a sufficient length of time (say 

 twelve hours) to swell it to nearly its normal bulk. 



There are a number ot evaporators, eome intended for home use, the size recommended for small farmers being 

 the "American" Evaporator No. 3 (Fig. 87, page 349), manufactured by Ph. Mayfarth and Co., London Office, 16, 

 Mincing Lane, E.G. Size, 9g feet long, 28 inches wide. Can be set up in a few minutes. Adapted to burn wood, 

 coal, or coke. Extreme height 6 feet. Consumes about 80 pounds of coal, or equivalent, per day. Capacity, 400 

 500 pounds of apples per day of twenty-four hours. Trays, piping, fire-irons, and improved furnace complete, 22 trays, 



