110 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 13, 1891. 
for the “fours,” though the ttuves are simpler and more convenient 
in every way. 
When the fresh fruit is put in the temperature should be about 
100° F. When the Plums have been inside for about a couple of hours, 
they assume a peculiar puffy appearance; the claies are then withdrawn, 
the fruit turned by holding an empty dale upside down close over a 
full one, and then turning them both over. After cooling the dales 
are again put into the “ four,” this time at a temperature of 135° ; 
again withdrawn, turned, cooled, and put in at a temperature of about 
170° ; and this operation is continued until the Plums have been dried. 
Some dry more rapidly than others, and they are picked out as they are 
ready. The more slowly the operation is performed, and the oftener 
the Plums are put into the “four,” the better will be the result. 
When they are ready the Plums are sorted out into various grades, 
according to the number (30, 35, 45, 50, 55 or more up to about 130) 
that it will take to make up the French pound, for curiously enough 
the old French measure is adhered to. They are put into sacks and 
carried to the markets. Here the merchants come and buy, paying 
prices varying according to the number of Plums required to weigh a 
pound ; 30 to the pound would be worth about 120 francs the 100 
pounds ; 40 to the pound about 100 francs, and so on down to the very 
lowest grades, which are not worth more than 15 francs. The 
merchants convey the fruit to large, cool, airy warehouses, where it is 
thrown into bins ; and women at long tables are employed sorting over 
again much more carefully than before. The various grades are then 
packed separately into casks and are sent to Bordeaux, where the finer 
qualities are packed carefully in bottles or boxes, the inferior are simply 
■exported in bulk. 
Round Agen and in the other districts another tree is cultivated, the 
Prunier commun. This is a round violet Plum grown on its own 
stock. The fruit is prepared in a similar manner to the Prune 
d ente, but it is very inferior, and is only fit for stewing. Enormous 
quantities are consumed by the peasants in the north and east of France. 
I think the deductions I have drawn from the observations and 
inquiries I have made may be briefly stated as follows :— 
1, That we have no Plum at present cultivated in the Severn district 
that at all resembles the Prune d'ente. 
2, That though I think we have plenty of suitable soil I think it 
most probable that we should never successfully cultivate the Prune 
d'ente on account of the lateness of our spring and the comparatively 
small amount of really hot sun that we usually enjoy. 
3, That some of our Plums can be made to yield lower grades of the 
“ Prunes ” and Pruneaux, but with such produce only, a factory could 
hardly be maintained. The loss of weight in the process of drying even 
with the best Prunes d'ente amounts to two-thirds of the original 
weight; with our Plums it would probably be about three-quarters. 
In other words a pot of our Plums would probably yield about 25 lbs. of 
dried fruit. 
If a factory were established, I should propose to adopt a class of 
kiln which I have in use for burning terra cotta at my brickworks. I 
should have a set of four of these kilns, each kept constantly at a 
regular temperature, but the heat in each one varying from that in the 
others. Such a set, in a suitable chamber and with the requisite heating 
arrangements, would probably cost about £200 ; not so much if placed 
in an existing building ; and the daily output would amount to the pro¬ 
duce of from thirty pots of fresh fruit, all of which would pass through 
all four kilns. There could not be more than about six weeks of work, 
and the gross output would, therefore, be about 250 pots of dried fruit 
during that time. 
It will be seen that during the greater part of the year the factory 
would be idle unless development in other directions were adopted. I 
could indicate one such direction as to which I have obtained a con¬ 
siderable amount of information, and which appears to offer very great 
probabilities of success. It would make this report too lengthy were 
I to enter fully into the details of this scheme ; and I will only 
mention that it is the manufacture of brandy from Plums, adding that :— 
I. There appears to to be an unlimited demand for brandy. 
II. That Plum brandy appears to possess distinctive and valuable 
qualities. 
III. That recent legislation in Germany, where most of the cheap 
brandy is made, has rendered its manufacture in England more 
advantageous. 
IV. That such a manufacture would considerably extend the period 
during which the factory would be at work. 
V. That the worst, soiled, and damaged fruit might be usefullv 
employed. 
Again, the manufacture of jam would enlarge the field of operations 
and extend the period of work ; and not only of jam, but of fruit pre¬ 
pared in various ways. 
I propose to try experiments in drying all the varieties of Plums 
grown in any quantity in the district, and can then form an idea of 
the quality of the product, and can ascertain the probable quantity 
available for such varieties as show fairly good results. 
In using the word jam above I meant to include in the phrase the 
various products more or less included under the French term confitures , 
and in mentioning thirty pots as output from suggested “ fours " I 
should say this is purely guess work, except that itwould certainly be 
this amount, but it might be three or four times as much. I shall 
try the experiments as soon as any Plums are ripe with my kiln at the 
brickworks, and I can then form a reliable opinion. 
(Signed) M. W. Colchester-Wemyss. 
August, 1888. 
In giving permission for the publication of his paper in the “ Kew 
Bulletin” Mr. Colchester-Wemyss was good enough to send another 
paper which he prepared for a meeting of fruit growers at Gloucester, 
and in which he gave the following results of some experiments with 
English Plums :— 
I determined on my return to make the best attempt I could with 
our Westbury Plums. Uhfortunately it was a most unfavourable 
season (1888) for the experiment, for the fruit in England never ripened 
properly, and the continued absence of warm sunshine reduced to very 
small proportions the amount of saccharine, an ingredient most vitally 
necessary ; so that the experiment was made under avowedly unfavour¬ 
able auspices. 
I have at my brickworks at Mitcheldean a special kiln for burning 
pottery and terra cotta. This kiln has some points of similarity with a 
French fruit etuve, only much better. It is fired with a special gas 
produced on the spot, the flame circulates in a hollow wall round the 
kiln, but never enters it. It can be cut oil at any moment, and the 
temperature regulated at will. Of course, being made for terra cotta, its 
shape and form is not convenient for drying Plums ; but it afforded 
ample evidence that kilns built on this principle, but specially modified, 
would answer admirably for fruit drying purposes. I tried several kinds 
of Plums, amongst others the Early Prolific, Blaisdon Red, Victoria, 
Black Apricot, and Black Diamond, but every Plum I tried as deficient 
in all the three characteristics of the Prune d'ente, toughness of skin, 
solidity of flesh, and abundance of saccharine. Some failed altogether, 
and even those which yielded a moderately fair result had to be treated 
with extraordinary care to avoid the bursting of the skin and the conse¬ 
quent escape of juice. 
They had to be put many times into the kiln, and the finishing 
temperature had to be arrived at very gradually, and even then I 
unfortunately spoilt, from a too high temperature, several “ claie ”-fuls 
of Plums which I was preparing in an ordinary bread oven at Westbury. 
The Plum season was a short one this year, and unless picked quite 
green, so many rotted before they were really ripe, owing to the damp 
and rain, so that with the time and means at my disposal I was only 
able to produce a very limited number of Plums. Those giving the best 
results were the Blaisdon Red, the Black Diamond, and the Victoria. 
* * * * 
Though none of our existing Plums will yield the best French Plums, 
we can produce “ Pruneaux,” which are not without merit. Whether 
it would be a lucrative operation is not an easy question to answer. 
We have to bear in mind that it will require nearly 4 lbs. of our home 
varieties to make 1 lb. of “ Pruneaux.” In other words, assuming the 
value of raw fruit to be Id. per pound, it would take four pennyworth 
of fruit to make a pound of “ Pruneaux,” and I think this would have to 
sell at 5d. per lb. to make the manufacture profitable. 
A factory could not be started solely for the manufacture of 
“ Pruneaux,” because the busy time would only be so small a portion 
of the whole year that it could hardly be rendered remunerative ; more¬ 
over, the raw fruit would bear but little travelling, and so could not 
well be brought from any great distance. It has to be quite ripe, and 
yet must not be at all bruised, and the skin must not be the least 
broken. A factory might encourage the erection and maintenance of 
ovens and kilns in different localities, and in fact the earlier stages of 
manufacture might be carried out in such localities themselves, and the 
process be subsequently completed at the factory. Such a plan would 
also have advantage of extending the annual period of life at the 
factory. It might also be possible to store the raw fruit in cool 
chambers at the factory and dry it at leisure, but I doubt this. A 
factory in fact to be successful must embrace other operations besides 
drying Plums. 
THE MIDLAND COUNTIES CARNATION AND PICOTEE 
SOCIETY, BIRMINGHAM.— August 8th. 
The first meeting of this new Society was held in the Botanic 
Gardens, and Mr. Latham had made excellent arrangements for the 
display in the great conservatory. There was a large gathering of 
growers, including Mr. Dodwell, who came from Oxford purposely to 
assist in establishing the new Society, and whose presence was affection¬ 
ately welcomed. Mr. Lord and Mr. Hen wood also came, and Mr. 
Samuel Barlow was a welcome visitor, and many others whose names 
do not appear as exhibitors. Slough was represented by genial John 
Ball, and Mrs. Douglas represented her famous husband, and I think I 
may safely say represented him admirably in setting up his blooms. 
Altogether it was a day of most pleasurable excitement, and all went 
off well, and Mr. Robert Sydenham and the Committee worked to insure 
succe s, and the general verdict was most favourable. There was a very 
large attendance, and note-taking was general; the luncheon tent was 
almost more than filled, and Mr. Barlow presided, and all went off well. 
In the class for twelve Carnations, seven prizes, Messrs. Thomson, 
Sparkhill Nurseries, were first with clean fresh blooms of C. H. Herbert, 
James Merryweather, Thalia, T. B. Thomson, a fine new flower of good 
petal, and clear white ground colour ; Prince George of Wales, good ; 
Robert Morris, Sarah Payne, P.F.; also Sarah Payne, P.P.B. ; Alismond, 
very bright in colour ; George Melville, Lily Cannell, fine ; and R. Houl- 
grave, very fine. Second, Mr. Charles Turner, Slough, with Sarah Payne, 
P.P.B.; Lady Mary Currie, James Taylor, George (Beardsley), large 
and good ; Thalia, very fine ; Prince George of Wales, H. K. Mayer, 
Charles Henwood, Mrs. Barlow, Charles Turner, John Simonite, and 
Robert Houlgrave, very fine. Third, Mr. M. Rowan, Clapham, with fine 
