PICKING AND CURING, 
PROCESS OF GATHERING. 
The prune is picked from the tree when fully ripe, which is indicated 
when it passes from light reddish to purple, and by the withering con- 
dition of the fruit. It is very important that the fruit be thoroughly 
ripe, or else when dried it will be devoid of that rich flavor so essential 
in a marketable fruit. In most sections the prune upon ripening has 
a tendency to drop to the ground, which fruit is gathered and processed 
with the rest of the crop. The picking of the fruit, simple as the pro- 
cess appears, is one of the most particular things in prune culture. 
Many of the leading growers go over their orchards eight or ten times, 
gathering the ripest fruit each time. People are kept continually at 
work in the season gathering the ripe fruit. Starting at one end of the 
orchard they will work it over, and by the time they have got through 
the part first gathered is ready for the second picking, and this is 
repeated until the entire crop is harvested. The object is to get the 
fruit in its prime condition—rich, full, meaty, and thoroughly ripe. If 
it dries a little on the tree and begins to shrivel it is none the worse. 
The fruit is usually allowed to drop on the ground, from whence it is 
gathered, and no greater assistance is given it in falling than the gentlest 
tap on the trunk of the tree; a severe shaking even is not allowed. At 
the last picking the fruit that remains on the tree is gathered with that 
which has fallen. By this method the fruit is assured of positive ripe- 
ness, is solid,,and is charged with saccharine matter so desirable in the 
cured article. The prune will generally drop from the tree when fully 
ripe, and will not rot even if left on the ground under the trees for 
several days. As the fruit shows indications of ripening the ground 
under the trees is generally cleared of all rubbish and worthless fruit, 
so that when the mature fruit does fall it can be gathered by itself, free 
from rubbish. Sometimes a sheet is placed upon the ground under the 
tree and the ripe fruit is shaken into it, after which the sheet is picked 
up by the corners and the fruit turned into boxes and loaded on a wagon 
to be taken to the drying ground. 
GRADING AND CURING. 
Prunes are usually graded before drying, and various home-made 
contrivances are employed. Some use inclined planes of adjustable 
slats, the grader being thus available for other fruits than prunes; the 
large fruit rolls along into receptacles at the bottom, while the small 
fruit falls through into other receptacles. Other grading devices are 
made with wire screens, or riddles of different sizes of mesh. Some of 
them work on the principle of a fanning mill, three to four riddles 
placed above one another, each with a slight incline, and a spout on the 
side, where each grade drops into a box. Some have a long riddle, say 
twelve feet long, with three different sizes of wire screen on it. This 
riddle is hung upon four ropes, with an incline; the prunes are thrown 
