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show cracks and slits, the time of immersion of the fruit in the lye 

 should be shortened, or the strength of the lye itself should be 

 reduced by means of a further addition of pure water. 



The minimum time for dipping is two seconds, and the 

 maximum 18 seconds. Thickness of skin, stage of ripeness of 

 skin, abundance of waxy bloom, and strength of the lye all govern 

 the length of dipping, and this, as has been explained, can be 

 adjusted by means of personal tests. 



Rinsing. After dipping, the galvanised iron baskets are allowed 

 to drain for a minute or so, and are then plunged into clean, cold 

 water, and emptied on wooden trays to dry. Some do not rinse 

 the fruit, and claim that the colour is then brighter. 



Sulphuring. After dipping and before drying, the fruit is 

 often exposed to the bleaching action of sulphur fumes in order to 

 obtain a bright amber-coloured sample. Trade requires this colour, 

 and the process has little or nothing else to recommend it as the 

 fruit is often over- sulphured and is rendered acid, heavy to digest, 

 and much of the peculiar fruity aroma inherent to the fruit is more 

 or less destroyed. 



The extent of the sulphuring cannot be determined by any hard 

 and fast rule, and must be adjusted by practice ; but it is necessary 

 that the several charges in the bleaching chamber should be 

 exposed to the same amount of sulphuring, otherwise an uneven 

 sample would result, and the value of the article would thereby be 

 greatly affected. 



Small sulphuring chambers may consist of boxes in which the 

 trays are stacked while the operation is going on, or of a larger 

 chamber into which trollies laden with the fruit trays are wheeled 

 and taken out again to make room for a fresh load. A box slightly 

 larger than the trays, and which can be hermetically closed and 

 provided with doors of the full size of the front, constitutes a 

 simple sulphuring chamber ; on the sides cleats are nailed, upon 

 which the trays laden with fruit are rested tier upon tier. Some 

 push the bottom tray so that there is a little room at the back, whilst 

 the next tray is pushed a little farther, so that the interval should be 

 at the front, and so on until the last tray is put in. This arrange- 

 ment favours the even distribution of the sulphur fumes, which are 

 generated in a roaster set outside the box, with which it is in com- 

 munication by means of a flue. A simple hole dug into the ground, 

 and covered with an oil drum with a tin tube connecting it with the 

 sulphuring box, will answer. The sulphur is set alight, the fumes 

 allowed to enter the box, which has a hole at the top which can be 

 either left open or shut by means of a sliding damper. When the 

 fumes begin to issue from the box at the top, the damper is closed, 

 and the fruit is allowed to remain for a few minutes immersed in 

 the bleaching fumes. The trays should not be made of metal which 

 is readily attacked by the sulphur fumes and turned into noxious 

 sulphates. Highly bleached fruit is charged with sulphuric acid, 



