EVAPORATION OF FRUIT. 419 



learned that the price obtained was 40 shillings for 110 Ibs. The 

 commission, freight, etc., of the entire shipment of 20 boxes, each 

 containing 108 Ibs. net, amounted to 5 1/w. Id. Annexed to 

 the statement was the following suggestion : The potatoes should 

 be packed in canisters holding 5(j Ibs. and made of black sheet- 

 iron painted red on the outside. In the top should be a round 

 hole large enough to admit the hand, and closed by a slide. A 

 large label with the words " Preserved Vegetables" should be 

 pasted on the side of the canisters. 



The bushel of potatoes in an evaporated state and ready for 

 shipment costs about 50 cents. 



In conclusion it remains to say a few words about drying fruit 

 in the oven, and we describe the French method, which is decidedly 

 the best, as proved by the prunes brought into market from that 

 country. The prunes having been sorted by a machine into three 

 qualities are placed upon trays and exposed to the sun until the 

 skin commences to shrivel. They are then placed in a bake-oven 

 previously used for baking bread. If no bread is to be baked, 

 the oven is very moderately heated to prevent the rapid (dosing of 

 the pores and the formation of a crust upon the surface. They are 

 allowed to remain in the oven for 12 hours when they are taken 

 out, and when perfectly cold, moistened with alum water and re- 

 placed in the oven, which must now be somewhat hotter. After 

 12 hours they are again taken out, moistened with alum water, 

 and replaced for the third and last time, together with a dish full 

 of water, in the oven which must now be still hotter than before. 

 The prunes when taken from the oven are submerged fora short 

 time in a bath of sugar-water, and are then packed in boxes. It 

 will be seen that this process is quite tedious, and the product as 

 shown at the Paris Exhibition is not as good as that obtained by 

 evaporation. 



Besides prunes the French bring into market dried pears, which 

 have also become celebrated. The process is as follows : Fine 

 table-pears are pared, quartered, and boiled in sugar syrup ior 

 five minutes. They are then placed in a moderately warm oven, 

 where they remain for 12 hours ; they are then taken out, allowed 

 to cool off, and replaced in the oven, which must now be hotter 

 than the first time, until sufficiently dried. 



