HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL. 



173 



producing good fibre. Most of the leading fibre plants 

 of commerce may be seen growing in the season, in the 

 Brisbane Botanic Garden, and Mr. Hill is ever ready 

 to explain their merits. 



DRYING FRUITS. 



The preparation of dried fruits forms an important 

 industry in many countries on the Continent of Europe, 

 and has assumed gigantic proportions in some of the 

 American States. South Australia, among the Aus- 

 tralian colonies, appears to take the palm in drying 

 fruits for commercial purposes ; but, for home consump- 

 tion, this method ought to be largely resorted to 

 throughout the southern districts of Queensland, to 

 save from waste the surplus apricots and peaches which 

 now annually go to decay in the height of the season, 

 especially near Brisbane and Toowoomba. 



In America, the "fruit drier" is a necessary adjunct 

 to farm-houses in the fruit-growing districts. It con- 

 sists of a box eight feet long and two feet square, 

 connected at one end with a hot air stove. The box 

 is fitted with trays with wire bottoms, and is elevated 

 at the other end about two feet, so that the hot air 

 entering in at one end traverses the whole length, and 

 passes out at the other. Freestone peaches and apricots 

 are split open and the stones removed. The round part 

 of the fruit is placed downwards on the trays, and, 

 when partially dried, the trays nearest the stove are 

 removed to the further end of the box, the others being 

 pushed down to take their place. Figs could be pre- 

 served in the same manner. Apples and clingstone 

 peaches are cut into slices and dried. 



Figs appear to find in Aidin (Smyrna) a soil pecu- 

 liarly suited to them. When perfectly ripe they fall 

 off the trees, and are gathered up every morning, and 



