June 6, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
643 
they will be unjustly found fault wilb. We have 
only to remember that the evaporating process 
deprives the fruit of nearly all the water it contains 
in its raw state to see that before cooking the water 
must be replaced. This involves soaking the fruit 
from 12 to 16 hours in as much water as it can 
absorb, and results in a single pound of dry Apple 
rings being increased to five or six times the weight, 
in a softened and juicy state, which will bake, boil, 
or stew like fresh gathered fruit, except that it will 
be so tender as to require much less cooking. The 
retail price of the dried rings at the present time is 
yd. per lb., so that the cost when ready for cooking 
will be only a trifle over id. per lb. In many shops 
printed directions how to prepare the Apple rings, 
&c. for cooking are now supplied to purchasers. It 
would be easy for me to enumerate directions how to 
make marmalades, jams, jellies, &c., from 
evaporated fruit which would be at least equal to 
the best made from fresh fruit, but I shrink from 
wearying you further, 
I will not attempt to account for the singular 
apathy shown in England so far with reference to 
the " American evaporator.” Its merits have been 
officially recognised by the Royal Agricultural and 
Royal Horticultural Societies ; the journals of both 
societies, and also of the Board of Agriculture (as I 
have already pointed out) have published articles 
setting forth its claims to public attention, and 
pointing out the advantages which would un¬ 
doubtedly accrue if it were judiciously used in this 
country. Innumerable letters and articles have 
appeared in the Times, Standard, Midland Counties 
Herald, and other journals advocating its adoption, 
and yet the number of evaporators in use in England 
at the present time does not, so far as I have been 
able to ascertain, reach to a score. We are always 
slow to change and often look suspiciously at new 
things, and it will probably require a good deal more 
dogged persistence on the part of those interested 
before our fruit growers will welcome in earnest this 
transatlantic stranger. And yet I cannot help 
thinking that it might materially help to make fruit 
growing a much more profitable and less uncertain 
business than it is at present. What a difference it 
would have made to numbers of people during the 
past year if all the plums and damsons grown in 
England, which were sold at a ruinous price, or 
were not gathered at all, had been dried in evapora¬ 
tors and had since been sold at 6d. to 8d. per lb 
retail; the growers would have been much better 
off and much delicious fruit might have found its 
way during the past winter and spring months into 
thousands of homes. 
I asked Mr. Trotter to give me the results of his 
experience in Herefordshire of evaporating, and 1 
think his communication will interest you. Here 
are my questions and his answers :— 
Q. What kinds of fruit have you successfully 
dried ? 
A. Apricots, Apples, Black Currants, Cherries, 
Figs, Pears, and Plums. 
Q. What kinds of fruit have you not succeeded 
with, and what do you think was the cause of non¬ 
success ? 
A. Raspberries and Strawberries. Want of ex¬ 
perience and the lack of fine meshed cloth to place 
under them. I have only tried these fruits once. 
Q. Have you successfully dried vegetables ; and if 
so what kinds ? 
A. Yes: Asparagus, French Beans, Peas and 
Tomatos. 
Q. Have you cooked any of the dried vegetables, 
and how did they turn out ? 
A. Yes; excellently. 
Q. I think you have dried various kinds of herbs, 
&c. What kinds have you had most success with ? 
Do they retain their colour and flavour ? 
A. Basil, Camomile, Lavender, Marjoram, Mint, 
Parsley, Tarragon, Thyme, Sage, &c. 
Q. Have you sold any dried fruits, dried vegetables 
and dried herbs ? 
A. Yes: fruits and herbs. Of herbs a quantity. 
Not vegetables at present. 
Q. Taking cost into consideration, has what you 
have sold yielded you a profit ? 
A. Dried fruits, yes. Dried herbs, decidedly yes, . 
Apple rings, in a plentiful year, pay well. Herbs 
also pay well. 
Q. How do you pack your dried fruits, and do you 
sell them to wholesale or retail customers ? 
A. I pack the fruit in wood boxes, about 2 lbs. in 
each ; in boxes like those used for Fry’s Cocoa. 
The herbs are packed in half-pint glass bottles with 
metal stoppers, and are sold at 6d. each : also in 
penny packets. These are both retail prices. I sell 
to wholesale and retail customers. 
Q. Will you tell me your opinion of the evaporator 
as a means of adding to, or entirely earning a living ; 
and do you recommend the average fruit grower to 
set up an evaporator ? 
A. (i) I believe the evaporator to be the thing really 
wanted in this country, especially in a place like this 
where we have a quantity of fruit which can be 
dried for future use. Here we have used our own 
dried goods all the winter and have still a consider¬ 
able surplus which but for the evaporator would 
have been wasted. (2) Yes, in conjunction with a 
factory or jam maker, or in a co-operative way. 
(3) I do not recommend each and every grower to 
set up an evaporator, for several reasons; but I 
certainly recommend it for use on a co-operative 
method. 
Mr. Trotter's suggestion that the evaporator 
should be used under some co-operative arrange¬ 
ment is deserving of careful consideration. That 
method would minimise risks, secure more successful 
results, and would probably lead to the employment 
of the best class of operator. At present skilful 
operators are few and far between in this country ; 
but once there is a demand they will undoubtedly 
be forthcoming. The work would be found interest¬ 
ing, and, as I have previously said, it requires skill, 
knowledge, and experience. Much of the work 
might be done by women, who properly trained 
would prove very successful manipulators. 
It now only remains for me to bring my paper to 
a conclusion by making a few general observations, 
which shall be as brief as possible. 
1 The universal use and success of the evaporator 
in America and other countries seems to me to afford 
reasons for thinking that the extension of its use in 
England deserves warm encouragement. I do not 
think there can be a doubt as to the advantage it 
would be to fruit growers, and the community at 
large. On the whole it seems probable that it would 
be more economical and profitable if the process of 
evaporation were carried on by a co-operative 
combination rather than by a number of individuals, 
each on his own account. 
2. It must be borne in mind that the evaporator 
will not make a good product out of fruit of bad 
quality. The fruit to be evaporated must be of good 
quality to begin, and consequently the fruit grower 
who adds an evaporator to his trade plant must take 
care to grow those varieties of fruit which will pro¬ 
duce a marketable commodity when dried. Thus 
the best kind of Apple rings can only be produced 
from the best kinds of cooking Apples. 
- 3. Then the men or women employed to work 
evaporators should be well instructed in the opera¬ 
tions they have to perform, and should be handy, 
observant, and resourceful. Those who are the best 
qualified, most skilful, and painstaking will naturally 
produce the best results. 
4. The grading of fruit is another point of im¬ 
portance. We are not careful enough in England in 
this respect with our raw fruits ; it would be better 
if we were; but in evaporated fruits it is indispensable, 
•and neither this nor any other point tending to 
secure excellence and uniformity of quality must be 
neglected by the evaporator, who intends to secure a 
ready sale and the highest price for his goods. Thus, 
the packing of the fruit must not be done in a care¬ 
less or slovenly manner, but as neatly and attrac¬ 
tively as possible. The American method is to send 
out the fruit in neat, inexpensive boxes, holdingsolbs. 
If this would be too large a size for this country, we 
must use a smaller size. The wholesale produce 
merchant would be able to give the best advice on 
this point. 
I wish, in conclusion, as one proof of the interest 
felt in the subject of this paper, to draw attention to 
a prize of £50 which the proprietors of a London 
newspaper, The Ironmonger, have generously offered for 
competition at the meeting at St. Alban’s of 
the Bath and West and Southern Countries Agricul¬ 
tural, &c., Society, " for the best machine for drying 
fruit and vegetables," and it is to be hoped that the 
liberal prize offered will secure a spirited contest. 
Every competitor must submit its exhibit to such a 
trial as will prove and show his qualities. The judges 
will be directed to take into consideration the following 
points, viz.:—Efficiency, simplicity of construction, 
durability, workmanship, economy of cost, economy 
in use, facility for repairs, facility of transport, per¬ 
centage of moisture removed, quality of fruit and 
vegetables after drying. 
I trust the result may be a new departure in this 
country in the matter of fruit and vegetable drying, 
and a great help to the development of increased 
interest in an industry likely to be of national benefit 
and capable of great extension .—Edward W. Badger. 
-- 
PEOPLE WE HAVE MET. 
Mr. John Forbes, Buccleuch Nurseries, Hawick 
whose well known features we here produce, will be 
readily recognised by many of our readers as a man 
they have met some time or other in their lives, his 
stalwart form being a familiar sight at most of the 
leading shows, and during his annual visitations in 
the course of the summer months, coming in contact 
with many gardeners and others over the length and 
breadth of the land. In him we have another not¬ 
able instance of what can be accomplished by well- 
directed enterprise and dogged perseverance, com¬ 
bined with strict attention to business and determined 
effort to succeed. That well-merited success has 
crowned his efforts goes without saying, he having 
earned a name and fame for himself and his products, 
of which any man might feel proud. 
He is a native of Perthshire, hailing from the 
famous Birks o' Aberfeldy, and a typical Highlander 
to boot. Kindly and courteous in manner, as we can 
testify, and most amiable at all times, he has made 
for himself many friends both in the trade and 
amongst the general public. Many a young gardener 
can testify as to their indebtedness to him when in 
want of counsel and help, and who always find a 
sympathetic and sound adviser in Mr. Forbes. His 
advice on many matters is much sought after, and 
as a judge at flower shows he is in great demand. 
He is a member of the Hawick Town Council and 
Vice-President of the Hawick Horticultural Society, 
in which he takes a great interest. Hawick has been 
long famed for its hoisery and*tweeds; but it is now 
quite as famous for its flowers, which are distributed 
from Buccleuch Nurseries, far beyond the limits of 
our little isle. 
Like many another noted nurseryman, Mr. Forbes 
commenced life as a gardener, serving his appren¬ 
ticeship under the late Mr. Balfour, at Killiechassie, 
Perthshire. Even at this early stage of his career, 
his employer predicted a future for his 'prentice lad, 
who left him in due course to fight his way through 
the various stages of a young gardener’s career, as 
journeyman and foreman in various places of note, 
until he finally settled in Hawick as gardener to the 
late David Pringle, Esq., of Wilton Lodge, con¬ 
tinuing in that position for a few years, until in 1870, 
he commenced business as a nurseryman in the 
Wilton side of Hawick. A few years sufficed to 
crowd him out of this ground ; so he was forced to 
look for pastures new more suited to his fast 
increasing business; then it was he fixed on the 
