872 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



SUPPLY OF FRUIT. 



In the neighborhood of Apt and Avignon, where this method of pre- 

 serving forms a leading industry, fruit-growers are carefully instructed 

 in this respect, and deliver their crop to the confectioners in the best 

 condition. Contrary to what is popularly believed, native fruits are 

 rarely or never really cheap in Southern France, except sometimes for 

 a brief period, when, by reason of some exigency of weather or sanitary 

 trouble, the supply of apricots, figs, or melons, may temporarily exceed 

 the demand. 



Oranges, which come from Spain and Italy, and citrons, from Corsica 

 and Algiers, are, in favorable seasons, plentiful and reasonably cheap, 

 but apples, pears, cherries, peaches, plums, and berries are always 

 costly in the market of" Marseilles. At this time, the end of October, 

 ordinary apples command at retail from 4 to Scents per pound, and the 

 average price paid by confectioners for the various fresh fruits used in 

 crystallizing varies from 8 to 10 cents per pound. 



At Apt and Clermont, which are small towns in the midst of fruit- 

 growing districts, prices are somewhat less than this. Refined sugar, 

 the other principal material, costs $9.65 per 100 pounds. If moist or 

 inferior sugars are used, this item of expense may be slightly reduced, 

 but the saving thus effected is more than lost by the inferior quality of 

 the product. This is exemplified by the Corsican citron preserved at 

 Leghorn. 



It will be borne in mind that the preserved fruits under consideration 

 are of two kinds, "fruits glaces? glazed, and "fruits crystallises? but this 

 difference relates simply to the exterior coating of sugar, which results 

 from the final stage of the process. Until that finishing process is 

 reached, the method of preparing glazed and crystallized fruits is iden- 

 tical and the value of the product is the same. 



THE PROCESS OF CRYSTALLIZING. 



The fruit is first carefully assorted in respect to size and uniform 

 degrees of ripeness. 



Pears, pine-apples, and quinces are pared, citrons are cut into quar- 

 ters and soaked a month in sea-water, and the " pits" of apricots,i cher- 

 ries, and peaches are carefully removed. 



Even this preparatory process requires a certain degree of skill, since 

 the stone must be removed with as little injury as possible to the form 

 and solidity of the fruit. This work is done mainly by women, who 

 earn thereby 50 cents per day. 



Thus prepared, the fruit is immersed in boiling water, which quickly 

 penetrates the pulp, dissolving and diluting the juice, which is thereby 

 nearly eliminated, when the fruit is subsequently taken from the water 

 and drained, leaving only the solid portion of the pulp intact. 



This process of " blanching " must also be done with exact nicety, the 



