8 



ia just dissolved in a little water, and in this the now dried peel, taken off the wire netting, is immersed. 

 The same copper vessels are used, and the mixture is again boiled over a slow fire. 



"A short boiling will suffice for this, the last process, for the little water will quickly be driven off^ 

 and the sugar upon cooling will form its natural crystals over the surface of the fruits. Poured off from 

 these vessels, it is again dried upon the surface of the wire netting, as before described. The candying 

 is now complete, and the candied-peel is ready for the packing room, to which it is carried off in shallow 

 baskets. In the packing room may be seen hundreds of boxes of oval shape, or if I may so speak, of 

 rectangular 6hape, with rounded corners, and of different sizes, for each country prefers its boxes to be 

 of a particular weight, Hamburg taking the largest, of 15 and 30 kilos., the United States of America 

 preferring smaller, of 10 and 12 kilos., whilst England takes the smallest, of 5 kilos., and one containing 

 about 7 English pounds. The wood of which the tops and bottoms cf these boxes are made comes to us 

 in thin planks from Trieste, and a skilful packing is generally done by women, and the boxes are lined 

 with white paper. They are then packed in cases of 100 kilos., 10 of the smaller American boxes fill- 

 ing a case. The candied peel is now ready for export. 



"I think I have now spoken of all that need be noticed in the actual manufacture of candied Citron 

 and Orange peel at Leghorn. 



" There are, however, a few reflections upon the very existence of this industry here which seem to me 

 ■uggestive and instructive ones. In my inquiries into the course of the industry I find that the fruit it- 

 self, and every ingredient and article necessary to the preparation of the candied-peel comes to us from 

 abroad. The fruit of the best quality is from Corsica ; Egypt furnishes the sugar. England provides 

 the fuel, distant provinces of Italy contribute a portion of the raw product and the wood for the boxes 

 in which the peel is exported. The province of Leghorn provides nothing but the labour necessary to 

 the manufacture. Nor is this industry one that has fallen into Livornese hands from any specially 

 acquired local handicraft or skill. How, then, does this industry exist here in these days of keen inter- 

 national competition ? No doubt it is mainly supported by the large drawback granted by the Italian 

 Government upon the duty paid on the chief and dearest ingredient in manufacture — sugar. The Cus- 

 toms tarif in force imposes a duty of 76.75 lire upon 100 kilos, of the sugar used (classed in the tariff as 

 of second class) but grants a drawback of 60.50 lire upon a hundred kilos, of the exported article. 

 Without this large measure of support there can be no doubt this industry would immediately and wholly 

 collapse. With it even, it finds it difficult to hold its ground. Exporters tell me that the United King- 

 dom is beginning to call for the fruit to be sent to it direct from the countries of production in the same 

 condition that it reaches Leghorn, viz., steeped in brine, and the manager of one of the factories I visited 

 confirmed this with an air of very natural chagrin by telling me that he had himself seen 600 hogsheads 

 of fruit shipped in brine in one vessel last year from Bastia for England." — (Gardner's Chronicle.) 



