68 THE BOOK OF FRUIT BOTTLING 
The two varieties of damsons dried nicely, and kept 
their colour and flavour. 
Farleigh Prolific yielded 33 per cent. of dried fruit. 
Shropshire damson ,, 25 ae 
The average time required by the damsons' for drying 
was 6 hours for the Shropshire variety and 7 hours for 
Farleigh Prolific; the temperature in each case being 
160—200° F. 
Continuous Drying.—The time required to dry the 
whole of the 135 lb. of Shropshire damsons was 54 
hours of continuous drying ; and fuel consumed during 
that period was 13 cwt. of good house coal, costing one 
shilling and twopence per cwt. 
As fruit-drying is very suitable work for females, I 
charge for labour an average of 2/- per day; and taking 
that as a basis of payment for labour, the cost of the 
of 80 lb. for the fresh fruit, the price I actually paid 
for them—is 43d. per pound. I have already stated 
that a larger machine would dry a much larger quantity 
of fruit for the same cost in labour and fuel, and I 
think the cost of production would be reduced to about 
one-half, allowing 3/- per 80 Ib. as the value of the 
undried damsons. 
The cost of the dried Victoria, Monarch, Perdrigon, 
and Cox’s Emperor was 4d. to 44d. per pound, ascalculated 
on the above basis, and charging market prices for the 
fresh fruit, as actually received from salesmen. 
The surplus plums and damsons have been sold whole- 
sale and realised the following prices :— 
Best Victoria 6d. per pound. 
5, Perdrigon : 6d. - 
Second Victoria. 43d. i 
5,  Perdrigon . 43d. - 
Pershore . Add. - 
1 
Damson . . 4id. - 
