STORING, PRESERVING, ETC. 95 



fruit is turned by placing an empty tray upside-down 

 over a full one, and turning them over together. They 

 are again put in the oven, this time the heat being raised 

 to 170 degrees. This operation is repeated until all the 

 plums are completely preserved. Some dry more quickly 

 than others, and are picked out and placed in other trays 

 as they are ready. The more slowly the whole operation 

 is performed the better, and the oftener the plums are 

 put into the oven, the higher the quality of the produce. 

 When ready, the plums are sorted into various grades. 



The total crop of plums in France, according to La 

 Nature, is estimated at 38,000 tons, fully half of this 

 being made into prunes. 



CONVERTING FRUIT INTO VARIOUS DRINKS. 



Cider and perry making is an old practice in the 

 country, and thousands of acres of apple orchards were 

 planted for the purpose 

 of growing fruit for 

 cider only, special va- 

 rieties being grown for 

 that purpose, and many 

 of the small farm or- 

 chards were cultivated,^ 

 or more properly speak-" 



ing existed, for the pur- FlG - 22 - 



. , . PULPING OR BTBAHUNO MACHINE. 



pose or supplying the 



cellar with the required quantity of liquor for the farm 

 hands. But the rapid spread of temperance principles, 

 and the change in the social conditions of the people, 

 have largely altered the old arrangements of supplying 

 drink to labourers, and hence the practice of cider- 

 making by farmers --as largely declined. But there is 



