PRESERVATION OF DRYING 25% 
growth is prevented, partly by the drying and partly by the 
actual germicidal action of the smoke. When the smoke is 
produced from certain woods—beech wood is especially favorable 
—various volatile products arise, such as phenol and creasote, 
and these act as germicides. The bacteria on the surface of the 
meat are destroyed, and the surface is dried and affected by the 
volatile products in such a way that bacteria will not readily 
start to grow upon the flesh. Smoked meats are thus preserved, 
in part by the drying, and in part by the action of the smoke. 
It is well to remember that drying and smoking do not kill the 
animal parasites that may be in the meat, like trichina or tape- 
worms. 
Fruit.—The drying of apples, squashes, pumpkins, and other 
vegetables is a common process of farm life. In warmer regions 
of the earth the sun’s rays are sufficient to dry many fruits for 
preservation. Raisins and figs are thus prepared. In colder 
regions artificial heat must be employed. By the use of artificial 
heat it has been found possible to preserve, by drying, a large 
number of fruits. Pears, prunes, plums, raspberries, blackberries, 
blueberries, and strawberries represent some of the farm products 
which readily yield to this method of treatment. In fruit pre- 
pared in this way the water is not all removed, sometimes as 
much aS 30 per cent. being left. In most cases there is con- 
siderable sugar in the dried product which aids in the preserva- 
tion. In pears there is some 30 per cent. of sugar, while in raisins 
there is about 60 per cent. It must always be remembered that 
drying does not destroy the bacteria, but only checks their growth, 
and if the fruit has been exposed to a possible contamination of 
pathogenic bacteria, the drying does not remove the danger. 
This method of preserving fruits naturally affects their flavor 
and is frequently quite unsatisfactory for this reason, although 
it does not materially affect their nutritive value. In recent 
years hydraulic pressure has been used to extract the water with 
results, on the whole, superior to the extraction by simple drying. 
