6 



decrease in the expense accounts, aggregating i,ioo, according to the report of 

 the Superintendent, and we have a very handsome gain as the result of one 

 years experience. 



Another encouraging feature of this business is the fact that the price of Alden 

 goods is gradually advancing. The first Alden peaches oifered in Philadelphia, 

 four years ago, brought only 26 cents per pound. They are in great demand 

 now in all the market centres in the East, at from 35 to 4 5 cents per pound, ac- 

 cording to quality. The San Francisco price for peaches last year was 25 

 cents; this year they command 30 to 35 cents, and the supply has long since 

 been exhausted. Alden apples sold last year at 10 and 12 cents; this year 

 they sell readily at 15 to 18 cents, gold ; and in Chicago at 20 cents, currency, 



LABOR-SAVING MACHINERY. 



Our policy is to employ the best workmanship and to use the best material 

 with instructions to do. everything in the most thorough manner. We have 

 several persons engaged in devising improvements in our apparatus, and in 

 labor saving machinery, such as parers and slicers, plum pitters, contrivances 

 for steaming vegetables, etc., and have correspondents similarly engaged in the 

 East. It is our design to group together 'as many of such improvements as 

 possible, and offer to purchasers from us the benefit of all. 



The smaller and cheaper fruit-driers so industriously paraded before the pub- 

 lic, since the successful introduction of the Alden process, have caused us to 

 consider the question of manufacturing a cheap Alden ^Machine for persons 

 who prefer to operate on a small scale. A little reflection, however, has con- 

 vinced us that such a course would result in loss to our patrons and ruin to our 

 permanent interests. To be sold cheaply, the machine must be 7nade cheaply. 

 Let any practical man examine the small driers, with sheet iron heaters, in the 

 market, and calculate how soon they will burn out, and how often the fire must 

 receive attention to maintain a uniform degree of heat, ivhich is so very essen- 

 tial; let him estimate how many square feet of radiating surface they afford, and 

 what the chances are for the escape of heat so soon as the lumber begins \.o 

 shrink ; let him calculate, also, what the chances are for breaking down, and 

 see if he can find one that has been used the second season. And then let him 

 handle and taste the fruit dried by such small and cheap machines, and follow 

 them into the markets to ascertain the difference in price between them and the 

 Alden products, and he will need no further argument from us. 



We are, however, prepared to furnish, expressly for individual fruit growers, 

 a smaller evaporator, of about one-half the price and capacity of our New 

 Model Evaporator. The smaller machine can be erected in any ordinary one- 

 story building at a trifling exf^nse ; its products are equal in appearance and 

 quality to those of the larger machines, and it is managed with the greatest 

 economy and ease ; any kind of fuel can be used. We do not recommend 

 small machines, for reasons already given, but will give a further description, 

 etc., of them to persons who may wish to engage in the AlJen business 0:1 a 

 small scale. 



