424 Trays for Drying. 
three feet long, the boards forming it being held together by 
nailing to a cleat on each end, one by one and a quarter inches, 
and a lath or narrow piece of half-inch stuff is nailed over the 
ends of the boards, thus stiffening the tray and aiding to prevent 
warping. A cross-section of such a tray is shown at A. 
(a) i ra 
ng Cc 
[ones B i! 
a oan) ae — 
Cross-sections of Drying Trays. 
A large tray which is used by some growers is four feet 
square, and is made of slats three-eighths of an inch thick, and 
one and a half inches wide, the slats being nailed to three cross 
slats three-eighths of an inch thick and three inches wide, and 
the ends nailed to a narrow strip one-half inch thick by three- 
quarters of an inch wide on the other side. A crces:-section of 
this tray is shown at B. 
Since large drying yards have been supplied with tramways 
and trucks for moving the fruit instead of hand carriage, larger 
trays, three feet by six or three feet by eight, have been largely 
employed. These tramways lead from the cutting sheds to the 
sulphur boxes and thence to various parts of the large drying 
grounds, making it possible to handle large amounts of fruit at 
a minimum cost. 
Protecting Friut from Dew.—In the interior there is seldom 
any deposit of dew in the drying season, but occasionally there 
are early rains before the drying season is over. The fruit is 
then protected by piling the trays one upon another, in which 
operation the thick cleats serve a good purpose. In dewy re- 
gions the trays are piled at night, or cloth or paper is sometimes 
stretched over the fruit, thus reducing the discoloration result- 
ing from deposits of moisture upon it. 
Drying Floors—For the most part the trays are laid di- 
rectly on the ground, but sometimes a staging of posts and rails 
is built to support them, about twenty inches from the ground. 
The drying trays are sometimes distributed through the orchard 
or vineyard, thus drying the fruit with as little carrying as possi- 
ble. Others clear off a large space outside the plantation and 
spread the trays where full sunshine can be obtained. Drying 
spaces should be selected at a distance from traveled roads, to 
prevent the deposit of dust on the fruit. 
Grading.—It is of great advantage in drying to have all the 
fruit on a tray of approximately the same size, and grading be- 
