DORMANT INDUSTRIES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 521, 12 July 1881, Page 2

DORMANT INDUSTRIES.

Under the above heading the Standard (Rangiora) publishes the following article. We think the special industry referred to would be particularly aj plieable to Akaroa, where a large quantity of perishable fruit is wasted every year for want of a market, and where more could easily be grown if it were profitable to do so. Our contemporary says:— •

" It is pomewhat strange, and much to be wondered at, that the industry of fruit drying hns never been attempted in New Zealand, where every year there are so many hundreds of tons of fruit eithergoing to waste or commercially unutilised. The apathy of the people in thnt direction iw peculiar, and here is an instance of it. An old Marlhorough settler named Pulleine has gone to Tasmnia to develope the industry, named, and he is meeting with considerable success in hid undertaking. This gentleman basin use several patent machines used in the process of fruit drying, which are not associated in their working with the system of drying frui. , in the ovens or in the sun. The name of the method is •' fruit evaporating,' , and is of American origin. Here it may be remarked that the exports of the United States, in dried applea alone, tots up to an exceedingly large sum, as does apricot and peach drying in South Africa and certain portions of Australasia. It is a great industry in America, where many patents have been granted for various descriptions of machines, the last being the '•Automatic," patented in 1879. This is the kind of machine now nt>ed in Tasmania. With itapples, plums, cherries, blackberries, and what not are now dried to perfection, and form a large article of export. When ready for packing, the fruit looks quite natural, some of it retaining.the bloom as when taken off the trees. Certain kinds of fruit, before being committed to the beating , process, have to undergo preliminary preparation ; the apples have to be cored, pared, and sliced, which is done by an ingeniously constructed little machine, while plums and fruits of the kind have to be i stoned. Strawberries, blackberries, &c, and such soft fruit, are quite ready to be operated upon directly they come from the trees. The whole secret of the procea is the thorough evaporation of all moisture from the fruits, which is done by subjecting them to intense heat. The machine in wlvch this is accomplished is a somewhat simple one. The fruit is placed in single layers on trays having wire bottoms. These trays are run into a furnace from which tbe heat rises, and permeating through the wire, affects the fruit, thus reducing it to the required dry state. The heat ia easily generated and regulated, and the consumption of fuel necessary is very small. Last year there was some talk of introducing some of the machines in Canterbury as an experiment. We trust some enterprising person may be fouud to give the industry a fair trial. New Zealand's future prospects and present welfare depend in a very great measure upon the people relying upon themselves, and endeavouring to export as much as the capabilities of the country will allow."