102 BUSH-FRUITS 



fidenee, for they come from practical men who are in 

 the business and know whereof they speak. To be 

 sure, they are estimates rather than records of yields 

 obtained, but they are estimates based on practical 

 experience, not on theory. By some they will be 

 considered too high, but there are growers who are 

 constantly marketing larger yields. 



The yield in pounds of dried product per bushel of 

 green fruit varies greatly with different seasons and 

 parts of the same season. Early in a wet season, 

 when the fruit has made a quick, vigorous and watery 

 growth, it may take four quarts to make a pound of 

 dried fruit. At the end of a .very dry season, on the 

 other hand, it may take only two quarts. So far as I 

 have been able to learn, growers expect to average 

 about ten pounds of dried fruit to the bushel. There 

 is considerable difference in varieties in this respect. 

 The Ohio is one of the heaviest yielders, in proportion 

 to the amount of green fruit, owing largely to the 

 greater number of seeds. It is one of the poorest in 

 quality, and possesses less food value per bushel than 

 other varieties. The Gregg follows it closely in yield 

 and is a better berry. In some experiments with seed- 

 lings, Goff found that small and juicy berries yielded 

 a higher percentage of evaporated fruit than larger 

 and dryer ones, showing that it does not follow be- 

 cause a berry is rather dry in texture that it will 

 give a good yield when evaporated. In point of 

 quality and food value, the Shaffer ranks among the 

 best, so that from the consumer's standpoint, at least, 

 it is one of the most desirable. It is so near a red 



