354 
APRICOTS AND PEACHES 
should be picked when fully ripe, but not overripe. The fruit 
should not be so soft as to be mushy, and when cut in halves with a 
sharp knife, should still retain their shape. The picking is often 
done by shaking the tree over spread canvas, but the better class of 
fruit is picked by hand. The fruit should be cut clean round, 
and the parts not torn apart. They are placed on the tray cut 
side uppermost, and should be taken to the sulphur room, described 
when dealing with the curing of Lexias Raisins, within an hour of 
being pitted, this is best done immediately after picking. It is esti- 
mated that in properly made sulphur rooms two to three pounds per 
300 eubic feet capacity or 1b. of sulphur per ton of fruit is sufficient 
for bleaching. About three to four hours is long enough to keep fruit 
in sulphur fumes; when the skin, unlike the pulp, is not bleached, the 
fruit curls up and looks small. During the sulphuring the cups fill 
with juice. Three or four days of sun-drying will be sufficient. If 
placed in the evaporator do not place the fruit in the hottest 
place to begin with, but start at that part which is 140 degrees and 
finish off at about 180 degrees. The fruit should not be dried hard 
enovgh to rattle on the trays. The proper stage is determined by 
handling the fruit, which should be soft and pliable to the touch, 
but not sticky. The fruit which is not quite dry, may at this stage 
be put on other trays for a few hours to complete the drying. The 
dried fruit having been taken from the trays, is put into clean 
calico bags and tied up securely to keep out moths. Small and in- 
ferior fruit is graded off, and tied in separate bags. These bags are 
placed in a cool, dry place, or else the fruit lose in weight and 
deteriorate. After sweating, if it is intended to box it, the fruit 
is graded and packed. A layer of fruit, flattened between the 
fingers or run through a clothes wringer, is placed at the bottom, 
cup-side down, the box is well filled, and pressure is applied. When 
the box is taken up and dressed, it is so done that, when opening 
what was the bottom becomes top. 
Moth infected fruit is cleaned by dipping into boiling water 
for a few seconds and spread on trays and sun-dried for a few 
hours. Fruit so dipped will not keep its colour long, and should 
be consumed speedily. 
The most suitable peaches for drying are Freestone, with a firm, 
yellow flesh, above medium size. 
Peaches are dried either peeled or unpeeled. On account of the 
extra cost, peeling is generally dispensed with. A paring knife is 
used for peeling, and the knife for pitting Clingstone peaches. 
The pit of Clingstone peaches is best removed with a knife, 
{known as the Tarlton knife, such as is represented in the accom- 
panying figure. It consists of a strong blade, with a short U-shaped 
