80 Bush-Fruits 



chains revolving over two shafts. When first put in, the 

 tray was dropped down directly over the heat, moving 

 from there up one flue of the stack, over the top and down 

 to the place of entrance. Each hanger had space for seven 

 trays, but only one was put in at a time, so that each 

 tray passed up and down the stack several times before 

 it was removed. This gave full opportunity for the 

 "stackman" to examine the fruit and note the progress 

 of drying. Any tray could be removed, independently of 

 others, whenever it came opposite the entrance door, or 

 could be brought there at any time. While very con- 

 venient, this type of machine did not so fully utilize the 

 space within the stack, and seems to have dropped out 

 of use. 



The fruit is taken from the evaporator when only par- 

 tially dry, a small percentage of it being still soft. It is 

 then placed on a curing floor, where it is shoveled over 

 daily for some three weeks. Instead of the curing floor 

 some now use small curing boxes, the fruit being turned 

 from one box to another each day. This plan may econ- 

 omize room and perhaps secures greater uniformity of 

 moisture content when ready for packing. By this process 

 of slow curing a much softer and better product is secured 

 than could be done by drying them hard in the machine. 

 The weight of marketable fruit is also greater. Being 

 soft and spongy it can be more easily packed. When 

 used, such fruit will readily take up water and regain 

 much of its former character. 



A good historical account of the evaporated raspberry 

 industry, as given by Bailey, will be found in Bulletin 100 

 of the Cornell University Experiment Station. No marked 



