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tion, i.e., steeped in sugar syrup of, roughly speaking, eight different 

 degrees of strength. I have said before this is a process which 

 occupies almost always eight days ; and, as the syrup in each jar is 

 changed every day, we may divide the mass of vessels before us into 

 groups of eight. Take one group of this number, and we are able 

 to follow the fruit completely through this stage of its treatment. 

 With vessels of such great size and weight, holding at least half a 

 ton of fruit and syrup, it is clearly easier to deal with the syrup 

 than the fruit. To take the fruit out of one solution and to place 

 it in the next stronger, and so on throughout the series, would be a 

 toilsome process, and one, moreover, injurious to the fruit. In 

 eaoh of these jars, therefore, is fixed a wooden well, into which, a 

 simple hand-suction pump being introduced, the syrup is pumped 

 from each jar daily into the adjoining one. 



"' How is the relative strength in each jar regulated?' is the 

 next question. 'The fruit itself does that,' is the foreman's 

 reply ; and this becomes clear from the following explanation : 

 Number your jars from 1 to 8 respectively ; and assume No. 1 to 

 be that which has just been filled with peel brought straight from 

 the boiler, in which it has been deprived of the last trace of salt r 

 and No. 8 to contain that which, having passed through every stage 

 of absorption but the last, is now steeped in the freshly -prepared 

 and therefore the strongest solution of syrup used in this stage. 

 ' We prepare daily a syrup of the strength of 30deg., measured by 

 the "provino," a graduated test for measuring the density of the 

 syrup,' continued the foreman ; ' and that is poured upon the fruit 

 in jar No. 8. To-morrow the syrup from this jar, weakened by the 

 absorption from it, by the fruit* of a certain proportion of sugar, 

 will be pumped into jar No. 7, and so on daily through the series. 

 Thus, No. 1, containing the fruit itself, regulates the strength of 

 the syrup, as I said.' ' But if the syrup has lost all its strength 

 before the seventh day, on arrival *at No. 1 ? ' we ask. ' Care 

 must be taken to prevent that, by constant testing by the " provino ",' 

 is the reply, ' and, if that is found to be the case, a little stronger 

 syrup must be added to the jar.' 



" A slight fermentation next takes place in most of the jars ; 

 but this, so far from being harmful, is regarded as necessary. Of 

 course, it must not be allowed to go too far. There is yet another 

 stage, and that, perhaps, the most important through which the 

 peel has to pass before it can be pronounced sufficiently saturated 

 with sugar. It is now boiled in a still stronger syrup, of a density 

 of 43deg., by the testing tube ; and this is done' in large copper 

 vessels over a slow coke fire care being taken to prevent the peel 

 from adhering to the side of the vessel by gentle stirring with a long 

 paddle-shaped ladle. The second boilin'g will occupy about an hour. 

 Taken off the fire, the vessels are carried to a large wooden trough, 

 over which is spread a coarse, open wire netting. The contents are 

 poured over this, and the peel distributed over the surface of the 

 netting ; so that the syrup, now thickened to the consistency of 



