CHAPTER XV 



FRUIT DRYING 



With the exception of oranges the great bulk of 

 the fruit grown on our irrigation areas is disposed 

 of in the dried state. As the two main classes of 

 fruit dried, stone and grape fruits, require totally 

 different treatment, each section is here treated 

 separately. 



STONE FRUIT. 



Stone fruits, such as apricots, nectarines, and 

 peaches, are sun-dried, after having been placed on 

 trays and treated with sulphur fumes in a sulphur 

 house or box. 



The trays used for drying stone fruits are made 

 from various kinds of soft-wood timber, and vary 

 in size from 3 feet x 2 feet to 3 feet x 4 feet, having 

 a flange of timber 2 inches to 3 inches in width 

 nailed to each end, whereby one tray may rest upon 

 another without the remainder of the tray coming 

 into contact with the one beneath it. 



Fruit that is to be dried is harvested when it is 

 perfectly ripe, the fruit is then cut in halves, the 

 stone removed, and placed cup upwards upon the 

 tray. 



When sufficient fruit has been thusly prepared, 

 the trays with their fruit are placed in a sulphur box 

 or house. Sulphur boxes are usually constructed 

 with a wooden framework covered with ruberoid, 

 malthoid, or hessian that has been whitewashed, so 

 as to be practically airtight. The trays with their 

 fruit are stacked one on top of the other, and the 



