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Dr. Kimball: It seems to me the gentleman is using a great deal of 

 sulphur in Vacaville, but if we are to use sulphur for the purpose of pre- 

 venting oxidation of the fruit after it has been cut, we only need to use 

 the amount requisite for the purpose. I acknowledge it makes it look 

 white, bleaches it out, and gives it a nice appearance; but I believe that 

 fifteen or twenty minutes to half an hour is sufficient time to submit any 

 kind of fruit to the action of sulphur, that is if it is intended to be eaten. 

 Now I have seen peaches and apricots and apples and pears frequently 

 that were totally unfit for human consumption in consequence of the enor- 

 mous quantity of sulphur that had been sublimated and condensed on the 

 surface of the fruit. When I commenced using it I did so with a good 

 deal of trepidation, and used it only ten minutes at first, not enough to 

 produce the requisite bleaching; but I do now after a good deal of experi- 

 mentation. 



General Chipman: I would like to ask whether the dipping in hot 

 water, besides killing the insects was not also intended to expand the dry 

 or shriveled fruit? 



Mr. Smith: The object in dipping the prunes into boiling water or lye is 

 simply to wrinkle or break the skin and hasten the drying process; this is 

 before drying, immediately after taking it from the tree; dipping any of 

 our dried fruits in boiling water or lye, as some do, of course restores a 

 great deal of moisture to the dried fruit, and I will give you a pointer that 

 may be worth something to you, the dried fruit will take up moisture 

 enough to pay all the expenses of boxing your fruit, and nobody is injured 

 by it, because the fruit itself is benefited — one of my neighbors told me 

 that he added twenty-six to the one hundred pounds of his dried fruit by 

 dipping; that I think is an exaggeration, but it will take upon an average 

 about 10 per cent of dried fruit to dip it in boiling water and let it drain 

 and dry off again until it is about moist enough to box, and this brings 

 back a good deal of the natural flavor and natural taste of the fruit as a 

 rule, besides killing the insects that are in it. 



Mr. Butler: May I ask if the moisture of that fruit does not cause some 

 discoloration ? 



Mr. Smith: Not much; no, sir. I will qualify that, that it does not 

 change the color of sulphured fruit but unsulphured fruit it does. 



Mr. Butler: I have noticed it in unsulphured fruit. 



A Delegate: Let me ask whether you sulphur dark plums for drying? 

 Is it not only necessary in light colored plums, and can you see any differ- 

 ence in plums that are dark colored ? 



Mr. Smith: It is not essentially necessary in dark colored plums. 



Mr. Hatch: This year I sulphured my French prunes before drying, 

 and they were as yellow as gold, and I sold them for a half price more than 

 I ever have before; the man who bought them branded them "Golden 

 Prunes." 



Mr. Stabler: Do you always use the flour sulphur in bleaching ? 

 Mr. Smith: Yes, sir. 



Mr. Stabler: I found much better effect with brimstone sticks, they 

 bleach in seven to ten minutes. 



Mr. Smith: I am inclined to think that is where Dr. Kimball got his 

 fruit that was so badly affected, that it had been sulphured with brimstone 

 instead of floured sulphur. 



Dr. Kimball: I never used the brimstone in sticks, I have used the sub- 

 limated. 



