1906.] 



Drying or Evaporating Fruit. 



757 



inside the barrel, and the fruit is gradually evaporated as the 

 current of hot air carries off the essential moisture. An im- 

 proved form of this kind of apparatus is that known as the 

 Rossler, in which a circulating fan is placed in the end of the 

 barrel furthest from the stove, and when the case is closed the 

 action of the fan keeps the air in motion. 



A second form of drying machine was invented and perfected 

 at the German School of Horticulture at Geisenheim. This 

 app*aratus is more suitable for smaller businesses and may be 

 moved from one portion of a farm to another. It consists of a 

 stove in which the heat can be regulated in the ordinary way. 

 Above this is placed a metal rack containing thirteen trays 

 similar to those mentioned above, or, if desired, inner trays can 

 be inserted in these, so as to enable the machine to take nearly 

 double the quantity of the prepared fruit. By a simple rachet 

 arrangement operated by a lever the trays can be raised from 

 the bottom, or if it be desired to inspect the contents of any 

 particular tray those above it can be raised in the same manner, 

 thus allowing the tray to be withdrawn and replaced by one 

 containing fresh fruit. By these means the one machine can be 

 kept in constant use. The evaporation in this form of machine 

 also is secured by the heated air passing through the trays and 

 carrying with it the moisture of the fruit. These machines will 

 take from 100 to 180 lb. cf fruit, or, if the inner trays be inserted, 

 they will take from 270 to 280 lb. 



For household use another machine on very similar lines has 

 been invented, which is placed over the oven in the kitchen range, 

 thus utilizing the waste heat without additional expense for fuel. 



Whilst drying does not improve the value of fruit, it is of 

 service in preventing waste and in rendering a glut of the 

 summer or autumn a saleable product in winter with the 

 expenditure of a little capital and some trouble. Another con- 

 sideration which is not sufficiently recognized is that the 

 evaporation of the moisture renders the fruit or other material 

 more portable and capable of being packed in a very small 

 compass, and that the evaporated moisture can be replaced and 

 the fruit restored to very much its original appearance by soak- 

 ing for some hours in water. It should always be cooked in 

 the same water. 



