THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 125 



plum products of the Old World are not in demand in the New World. 

 Beyond question there are a number of products, as preserves, jellies from 

 the native plums, glace" fruits, plum butter, marmalades and the like, 

 which could be made profitable for the markets and thus a great help in 

 utilizing surplus plums. 



DISEASES. 



Plums are subject to a considerable number of fungus diseases, several 

 of which are often virulent, the virulence depending on locality, season, 

 weather and variety. Happily for the plum industry, knowledge of plant 

 pathology has made such advancements in recent years that nearly all 

 of the diseases of this fruit are now controlled by preventive or remedial 

 measures. 



Northwest. Sun-drying is the most economical method where the climate permits. The half 

 cooking does not make so attractive a product but when skillfully done the prunes are possibly 

 more palatable, as the cooked flavor is liked by consumers. Beyond question the best prunes are 

 made, however, all things considered, in well-managed evaporators. In evaporators the changes 

 of curing take place most perfectly and uniformly so that, as a rule, the prune looks better, keeps 

 longer, is not so tough and has a more natural taste of the green fruit. 



In prune-making the fruit is allowed to remain on the trees until ripe enough to fall to the 

 ground, as the maximum proportion of solids is thus obtained. After picking, the plums are 

 passed over graders to remove rubbish and to secure uniformity in size, this being essential to 

 obtain evenness in curing, since the small fruits dry more rapidly than large ones. Usually before 

 evaporation begins the fruit is dipped in boiling lye or pricked by needles in a pricking machine 

 to make tender the tough skin and so allow the moisture to escape more readily. The dipping 

 consists of immersing the fruit for a minute or less in a solution of lye in the proportion of i pound 

 of concentrated lye to from 10 to 50 gallons of water maintained at the boiling point. The fruit 

 is carried mechanically through the lye vat and a rinser by a modified endless chain, or it may be 

 dipped in wire baskets. After rinsing the plums are ready for curing. 



Exposure to the sun in curing varies from five to twelve days, depending upon the heat of the 

 sun and the size and the variety of the plum. Curing in evaporators varies with the fruit and with 

 the make of the machine. In general the temperature in the evaporator is from 120 to 140 at 

 the start, increasing to from 160 to 180 and decreasing when the prunes are taken out. Too 

 much heat at first causes the cells of the fruit to burst, thereby producing drip and discoloration. 

 Important factors in evaporating in machines are the circulation of air, convenience, cost of fuel 

 and power. The time required for curing ranges from twelve hours for a small plum to forty-eight 

 hours for a large, juicy one. If not cured enough fermentation and molding result; if cured 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 or piles to sweat, a process taking from one 

 to three weeks, after which they are graded, processed and packed. In grading, the prunes are 

 separated into sizes indicating the number of prunes required to make a pound, as 30*3 to 4o's, 4o's 

 to 50*3 and so on to the smallest size, izo's to i3o's. The processing is done by dipping the 

 prunes in boiling water and glycerine or by steaming or by using some special preparation in 

 the final dipping or by rattling in a revolving cylinder. Processing is reputable if it adds beauty 

 to the color, or kills insects' eggs or sterilizes the prunes. It is disreputable when the aim is to add 

 to the weight. The best prunes are packed in boxes, in which process lining with paper, filling 



