128 Thinning^ Gathering, Keeping, and Marketing. 



Fig. 170 represents a small, portable, fruit-drying house, capable 

 of being carried to the orchard, and used on the ground. It consists 

 of a small building from two and a half to four feet square, or of any 

 other convenient dimensions, the lower part covered with sheet iron 



Fig. 170. 



to prevent danger from fire, and containing a small stove, extending 

 through the house, from the rear of which passes the stove-pipe on 

 the outside, the upper portion of which is seen in the figure. The 

 fuel would be more completely economized by bringing the pipe back 

 again, and passing it up on the same side as the door of the stove, 

 reversing the place of the doors for introducing the shelves. 



Since this chapter was written, great improvements have been 

 made in drying fruit, and the imperfect artificial modes just de- 

 scribed have given place to more efficient evaporators, which are 

 now manufactured and offered in market, the larger and more 

 complete ones drying hundreds of bushels in a day. The word 

 " evaporating" is applied to the improved- drying to distinguish 

 it from the old mode, and the fruit thus prepared is greatly supe- 

 rior in quality and appearance. These evaporators have proved 

 of great value in securing for market the vast quantities of surplus 

 fruit in abundant seasons, and the business has already become 

 so extended that millions of pounds of evaporated fruit are ex- 

 ported in a single season, the expense and risk of shipping heavy 

 fresh fruit being thus avoided. 



Among tHe kinds of fruit which may be profitably dried, are 

 apples, peaches, pears, and cap-raspberries, but not red raspber- 

 ries nor grapes. A bushel of apples will make about six pounds of 

 dried fruit; and about four quarts of raspberries are required for 



