ae Ops Ee 
PRUNES IN EUROPE—PRODUCTION AND MARKETS. 
THE FRENCH METHOD. 
George W. Roosevelt, United States Consul at Bordeaux, gives the 
following account of the French method of preparing the prune for 
market: 
“When the prune is ripe it is covered with a sort of glaucous powder, 
called flower, which greatly adds to its value as a table fruit. As the 
gathering is an important factor in the subsequent value of the prune, 
great care and good management are indispensable. The fruit is usually 
gathered after the heat of the day has dissipated the humidity of the 
night. When possible, straw is carefully spread beneath the trees to pre- 
vent the fruit coming in contact with the earth. The prevailing custom, 
however, is to harrow the ground before gathering the plums. Only 
such fruit as readily falls when the tree is slightly shaken is gathered. 
As soon as harvested the fruit is taken to a building, properly called the 
fruitery, where it remains for a few days to complete maturity. Prunes 
are subjected to not less than three, and frequently to four, distinct cook- 
igns before being pronounced ready for market. Each of these opera- 
tions has a special end, in sight of which great care is demanded. The 
first two preliminary cookings have for object evaporation of water con- 
tained in the fruit, and preparation for the final cooking, which dries the 
fruit and imparts a certain brilliancy much sought after by buyers. 
Sun-dried prunes are most delicious in taste, but the exigencies of the 
trade do not permit of such long preparation. In several districts of 
France most primitive means are practiced in curing the fruit for market. 
In Provence the freshly gathered fruit is plunged into pots of boiling 
water, where it remains until the water again arrives at a boiling point. 
It is then removed from the boilers, placed in baskets, and gently shaken 
until cool, when it is put upon long trays and exposed to the heat of the 
. sun to complete desiccation. At Digne the prunes are not gathered until 
completely matured. Women peel the fruit with their nails to avoid 
injury to the soft pulp. The fruit is strung upon small twigs, and in 
such fashion as not to touch. These sticks of prunes are stuck into 
straw frames, which are suspended in the sun, until the prunes easily 
detach from the stick; the pit is then removed, the fruit placed upon 
acl exposed ‘to the sun, and when thoroughly desiccated packed for 
market. 
“In the departments of Indes-et-Loire and Lot-et-Garonne immense 
ovens purposely constructed for prune cooking are used, but the pro- 
prietors often suffer loss from want of more commodious cooking appa- 
ratus, especially in windy or stormy weather, when the fruit falls in an 
embarrassing abundance, and he finds himself without means of imme- 
diately curing or preserving it. Most prunes are subjected toa preliminary 
washing to free them from dust or sand that may have adhered to them 
in falling to the ground. After washing, the fruit is exposed to the sun 
or air on beds of straw, or the trays upon which it is to be cooked, to 
rid it of all humidity. When dry it is spread in a single layer on the 
