1440 



PROTOPLASM 



serves its individuality, through the self-partition of 

 a single nucleus, no matter how near a neighbor of 

 another kind it may have, nor what that neighbor is. 

 The only reciprocal influences exerted are such as might 

 come from soil or from physical conditions. 



If we cannot say that protoplasm is the physical basis 

 of life from the reasoning that the latter is something 

 apart from material substance, we must attribute to 

 this seemingly unorganized, unstable something all 

 those properties and activities which distinguish living 

 things |from dead bodies. All that plants do as liv- 

 ing things, protoplasm does. Do they select and 

 assimilate food and bring dead matter into the bonds of 

 vitality! Do they manufacture organic substances- 

 starches, sugars, oils, spices, fibers, etc.? Are they 

 sensitive or do they possess irritability? Are they 

 capable of response to stimuli by movement or other- 

 wise? Have they the power of growth and of reproduc- 

 ing their kind? Then protoplasm is present and is 

 performing its wonderful operations. 



T. J. BlTRRILL. 



PKUMN6PITYS. See Podocarpus. 



FEUNE. Prunes are the dried fruit of certain varie- 

 tic-- "t i.liiiiis I Fii;. 19U:)). Any plum that can be sucoess- 

 fulh iMuid. xMthi.ut removing the pit, into a firm, long- 

 kefi.iiii; i.i.Mliii^t. inav be used for making Prunes. The 

 reuuisiti- f..r aV'ood Pruiie-makmg plum is that it 



California Prune ( 



have a large proportion of solids, more particularly a 

 large amount of sugar. Prunes are much valued in 

 cookery, making a nutritious food having demulcent and 

 laxative qualities. Extra fine Prunes are sometimes 

 called prunelles; these are often packed in mass as are 

 dates and are sold as a confection. 



Until within the last decade. Prance was the leading 

 Prune-producing region of the world; now first rank 

 must be given to California. The average yearly output 

 in that state for the last five years of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury would be about 85,000,000 pounds, with a capacity 

 at the close of the period to produce an average crop of 

 130,000,000 pounds. France ranks second, with a yearly 

 average for the period given above of about 70,000,000 

 pounds, a capacity whic-h i-< 1m irii; iiM-r.a-ii-d but little. 

 The Pacific nortbwi-t. i ii-.-mm. \\:,^liiiii.'ti.n and Idaho, 

 is third in importui in ilu- I'ninr iihlu-tiy with a pro- 

 ducing capacity at tin- iti.I of th.- icntury of about 

 30,000.000 pounds per year; this will be considerably 

 increased from year to year. Bosnia, Servia, Germany 

 and Spain are other Prune-producing countries. The 

 most highly reputed Pnines come from the valley of the 

 Loire in Prance, but it is doubtful if these are superior 

 in quality to the best grades from California and the 

 Pacific northwest. 



Attempts have been made to start the Prune industry 

 in many regionsother than those mentioned, bntalthough 

 it has not been found difficult to gmw tlir tn.s himI jiro- 



duce an abundance of fruit, the cliiii:iT .iiMliiions liave 



proved too unfavorable for curine tlu in-i^inn, :uicl the 

 attempts have for the most part faibil, Ni.taMr txcep- 

 tions are parts of Australia and South Africa, regions 

 ■which may some time compete with those mentioned 

 above. 



The growth of the Prune industry in America is one 

 of the most remarkable industrial phenomena of agri- 

 culture. An attempt was made bv the United States 

 Patent Office to start the industry in 1854 on the Atlantic 

 coast by the distribution of cions of Prune d'Agen 



PRUNE 



and Prune Sainte Catherine, but though the fruit was 

 produced it could not be cured, and the infant industry 

 soon died. In 1856, Louis Pellier, of San Jos^, Cali- 

 fornia, had shipped from Agen, Prance, cions of the 

 Prune d'Agen. The fruit was small, and to distin- 

 guish it from a larger plum, the Hungarian, supposed 

 to hiiv.- .-..iric fn.iu Af,'.-ii. this was <-alIiMl the Petite, the 

 naiiir ipAv iii'-t c-(,iiim.iiily L'iv, n to this the leading 



hil.it.d ai tl,.' ralifl.n.ia Stat,. Tair in 1803. The flr.st 



C,,lliliM.r -lal ..r-lial-,! \va^ )ilalit.-.| 11, 1S70. In 1880 the 



(,ui|,i i I-'- : 'ii'i «:i- :ii"'i,i ^'iiii, 11(10 [lounds; in 1890 



K;. ; ,:,: -" ; i!r, :, _■ . ^ :i^ in 1880, and now, 



ill i', :._, .:ii M ' I ' 1 iiiilv not less than 



1:111.11,,,,,, j„,i,„,N. \al,i,,] l,yili, ], r-,„ I IK' ers at $4,550,000. 



There are three methods of curing Prunes: sun-dry- 

 ing, as is practiced in California and some parts of 

 Europe; curing in evaporators, the method in vogue in 

 the Pai-ific northwest and parts of California; third, sun 

 drviii^ ,,r , , ,,i..,r;iiiiiL: afi, r the fruit has been partially 

 0, „,l.i : ill the European countries. 

 Will ,: ' - 1- the most economical and 

 j.roiii' . ; I ., , ^ „iMi, I !,i|..-r climatic conditions pre- 

 vail - 1,11, II, iliai a I-, 11, 1- jiroiliicr may be produced 



],\ 111, li... ,.| , \ a|.,iiai,,r-. til,' -li-lit cliciii i,-al changes 



takiiiL' ]ila, ,' 1 ', 1., rtV,.llv , ~,, that, a^ a lailo, the fruit 



look- I,, 11, a. k,-,- 1 i- I,, 111;, r, N not ^,1 i,'i 1^1 1, ami lias a more 

 natural Ua\or than tlio suiialrinl I'luiii'. 'I'lii- half-cook- 

 ing is but little advocated in the 

 more progressive Prune regions, 

 for the reason of economy; the pro- 

 duct is much darker colored, more 

 tender, and perhaps more palatable, 

 having a cooked flavor liked by 

 many. In California, evaporators 

 are not now used in the leading 

 Prune districts. 



The method of treatment in cur- 

 ing Prunes varies greatly, but in 

 general it would be about as fol- 

 lows: The fruit is allowed to re- 

 main on the trees until ripe enough 

 to fall to the ground, the maxi- 

 mum proportion of solids being 

 then produced. It is then passed over graders in 

 order to remove all rubbish and to secure several 

 sizes, evenness in size being essential to attain uni- 

 formity in curing, since the small fruits dry more 

 rapidly than the large ones. Machines run by hand or 

 by powrr .lo the ftia.liiiK- Bif,'!'- i.'oiiiK to the drying 

 grouihl- or 1,, till' ,\ a|,oi-ati,rx tli,. ^r,,!! j.roduct must 



ins; liia.'liin.-, t,. .■I„~,.k and tiiak,. t.ai.l.r llir tough skin, 

 thus allowing the moisture iiu.ri- ixiulily to escape. The 

 first method is in most general favor. The dipping 

 consists of immersing the fruit for a minute or less in 

 a solution of lye in the proportion of one pound of com- 

 mercial lye to from ten to fifty gallons of water main- 

 tained at the boiling point. The fruit is carried me- 

 chanically, as by an endless chain, through a vat, or 

 is placed in wire baskets for the dipping. After a 

 thorough rinsing the Prunes are placed on wooden or 

 wire-bottomed trays and are then ready for the ground 

 or for the evaporator. 



In the sun the time of exposure varies from five to 

 twelve days, depending upon the climatic conditions, the 

 size iinil the variety of the fruit. Treatment in an evap- 

 orator vai i,s x( nil the make of the machine. In general, 

 tin I, iii|,, I atiin- in the evaporator should be from 120° 

 to 1 III ai tl„ -tart, to be increased to from 160° to 180° 

 when th, I'liities are taken out. Too much heat at first 

 causes the cells of the fruit to burst, producing drip 

 and discoloration. Other important factors entering 

 into the process of evaporation are the circulation of 

 air in the machine, convenience and cost of fuel and 

 power. The time required for curing ranges from 12 

 hours for a small, heavy Prune to 48 hours for a large, 

 iuicv one. Much depends on the machine. A common 

 fault is to hasten the process too much. If not cured 

 enough, fermentation and mold result; if too much, 

 the weight is lessened, the quality is injured, the Prune 

 is harsh and coarse, and has a dried-up appearance. 



When sufficiently dried the Prunes are put in bins on. 



1 on the right. 



