98 



the same way, and none touching its neighbour. In doing 

 this, have a keen eye to the grading for size, and average 

 them to first, second and common as you lay them out. 

 When enough trays are filled to make a full charge 

 for the sulphuring chamber, run them in, set out enough 

 sulphur to burn for twenty minutes and let them stop in the 

 fumes for one hour. Then remove them into the sunshine 

 on supports of a height convenient for the frequent hand- 

 turning the figs require. Every fruit has to be attended 

 to separately, and when one side bleaches out the other 

 must be turned up. At sundown they must be run under 

 cover. In about three days, with good drying weather, 

 they will be so far dried out that they can be " rolled/' as 

 it is called, between the fingers- and thumb to equalise the 

 softness of the contents, but the greatest care and dexterity 

 is required for the first rolling lest the skin be broken. 

 After another day's drying, they are rolled again, and witl 

 bear a good deal more force. The manipulation ends by 

 pulling each fig out even and flattening it just as the Turkey 

 figs in the boxes appear. In another day, or perhaps two, 

 the fruit is what is technically termed " dry," that. is, 

 properly cured for keeping. But the word " dry " does 

 not mean dry in the usual sense. The fig is still soft, 

 yielding fruity glucose-laden tissue. You can of course 

 keep it out in the sun a week longer, and dry out of it all 

 the moisture. The skin will be as tough as biltong, the 

 flavour utterly gone and the fig itself fit only for the knob 

 of a walking stick or a coat button. Once overdried, figs 

 cannot be restored to softness. The curing having pro- 

 ceeded far enough the trays are stacked one above the? 

 other in a shed or storehouse for a day or two. The figs 

 are then, packed into the " sweating boxes," in which they 

 remain loosely lying for a few days, turning the contents 

 upside-down every day. That is for the purpose of averag- 

 ing mutually their amount of natural moisture. The next 

 process is packing. The figs are prepared for this by dip- 

 ping in hot water to which a little salt, a pound to 25 gallons, 

 has been added. The dip is done by means of open meshed 

 wire baskets swished rapidly through the hot liquor twice or 

 thrice. After draining the figs are laid out on the trays ard 

 covered over to keep off flies. In about 18 hours they are 

 ready for the boxes. 



