NOTES ON THE PRUNE. 
B75 
LS produced in the fruit, the skin bursts, the juice discharges, the Prune 
becomes sticky, loses its flavour, and consequently its commercial value. 
After each cooking, which occupies about six hours, the fruit is removed 
from the oven and exposed to the air. When the Prunes are cold they 
are carefully turned by women specially charged with this duty. They 
avoid disturbing the fruit while it is warm, as the touch renders it glu- 
tinous, and prevents the juice from congealing. The third cooking is 
performed at a temperature of 80 to 90 degrees, and occasionally at 100 
degrees. This, like the two preceding, should be conducted under most 
intelligent care. After the third cooking the Prunes are sorted, and such 
as are found imperfectly cooked are again submitted to the oven. The 
degree of perfection in cooking is obtained when the fruit presents a 
dark purple colour, solid and brilliant surface, malleable and elastic to 
the touch, and when the kernel is well done and intact in the shell. 
When these conditions are not obtained the kernel ferments, and alters 
the entire Prune, which very soon mildews and becomes worthless. Each 
cooking should not consume more than six hours. In the last, however, 
the process is sometimes prolonged, depending upon the condition of the 
fruit. The fruit loses about 70 per cent, of its original weight. The 
dark colour depends largely upon the degree of maturity at time of 
gathering. The brilliancy of surface has no other commercial value 
than proving the cleanliness observed in preparation and attracting the 
attention of buyers. Besides the different uses of the Prune as an article 
of food, it is also employed in making an agreeable brandy." 
In France "Prunes are divided into ten categories, taking the number 
of Prunes necessary to a pound as a basis, and were formerly classified as 
follows : (1) Trash or refuse, more than 125 to the pound ; (2) small 
Prunes, 120 to 125 to the pound ; (3) small ordinary, 110 to 115 to the 
pound ; (4) fine ordinary 100 to 105 to the pound ; (5) superior ordinary, 
second, 90 to 95 to the pound ; (6) superior ordinary, for exportation, or 
half choice 80 to 85 to the pound ; (7) first choice, 70 to 75 to the pound ; 
(8) extra choice 60 to 65 to the pound ; (9) imperial, 50 to 55 to the 
pound ; (10) imperial flower, 40 to 45 to the pound. 
" This classification offered opportunities to sell inferior Prunes for 
those of good quality, and to prevent this abuse was changed and sim- 
plified as follows : No. 1 represents 90 to 92 to the pound ; No. 2 repre- 
sents 80 to 82 to the pound ; No. 3 represents 70 to 72 to the pound ; 
No. 4 represents 60 to 62 to the pound ; No. 5 represents 55 to 56 to the 
pound ; No. 6 represents 44 to 45 to the pound ; No. 7 represents 40 to 
41 to the pound ; No. 8 represents 34 to 35 to the pound ; No. 9 repre- 
sents 30 to 31 to the pound." "In the beginning of the Prune industry 
many devices were employed for their proper preservation. 
" The first ovens were very primitive and the work of preparing the 
fruit for market laborious. At present there are "many different kinds of 
ovens in use, possessing more or less distinct features, but about the same 
in general principles. The most generally used are the Bournel and the 
Marleteau ovens. The only ovens in use are of French patent and make. ' 
Production and Markets. 
The principal markets for Californian Prunes are Chicago and New 
