1905.] Preparation of Fruit Pulp in France. 623 



If the pulp is sold in London at an average price of 28s. per 

 cwt., there remains a balance for the manufacturer of 19s. 2d. 

 Contracts are commonly made with the growers for the supply 

 of fruit for periods of ten or twelve years at varying prices, of 

 which 12s. 9d. per cwt. may be taken as an average. The prices 

 obtained by growers who do not sell by contract vary very 

 much according to the season and other circumstances. 



Red currants and raspberries are prepared in a similar way to 

 black currants. 



In pulping cherries, the stalk and the stone must be removed, 

 and women accustomed to the work can stone about 1 1 lb. per 

 hour. They use a simple tool for this purpose, consisting of a 

 flattened copper wire bent in the shape of a U with the 

 ends fixed in a wooden handle. The fruit is treated in the 

 same way as black currants, except that if it yields enough juice 

 to prevent it sticking to the pan, water need not be added. 

 Only large black cherries are used, the white-heart cherry not 

 being employed at all ; the Montmorency is preferred, the 

 Bigarreau being less suitable. 



Apricots and plums require to be quite fresh, and for these 

 fleshy fruits the sterilisation must be carefully carried out. After 

 stoning, which is done by hand, the fruit is put in perforated 

 copper vessels and plunged into boiling water ; they are kept in 

 this for about one minute if the fruit is quite ripe, and from 

 two to three minutes if unripe. The skin should slip from 

 the fruit if it is squeezed between two fingers, but in order to 

 preserve the shape of the fruit actual cooking should be 

 avoided. On removal from this bath they are put into tins so 

 as to weigh 11 lb. including the tin, and soldered down for 

 further sterilisation, as in the case of black currants. Apricots 

 with a brilliant red colour are generally selected, and the 

 varieties considered most suitable in France are the -Kuizet, 

 the Muscat, and Blanc-rose. The apricots are stoned by 

 women at the rate of about 5d. per cwt., and the stones are 

 dried and sold to firms who use the kernels, the average price 

 obtained being about 5s. 2d. per cwt. 



For preparing the pulp of fleshy fruits, such as plum, apricot, 

 &c, some manufacturers use the simpler and less costly method 

 of heating over a fire. The pan is placed or hung over the fire, 



