A NEW RURAL INDUSTRY.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 772, 3 October 1922, Page 5

A NEW RURAL INDUSTRY.

Unbounded Possibilities for Pukekohe. NEW OUTLET FOR OUR PRIMARY PRODUCTS. SELLING IN THE WORLD’S MARKETS. MADE POSSIBLE BY PROCESS OF DEHYDRATION. PUBLIC MEETING ON TUESDAY NEXT.

ning on apples* pears tomatoes, ‘in quantities ; cape gooseberries, prunes, damsons, muscatels apricots and peaches as samples ; potatoes,, corrots, peas, beans, parsnips and onions, in quantities ; the total being about 380 tons. The plant has exceeded our expectations in its output andf is absolutely controllable in the quantity of air, the temperature and the humidity, and at times we had on the four carriages a different product such as pears, tomatoes* apples and potatoes and the whole plant was so flexible in its operations that these four products were handled: satisfactorily and efficiently. I have the greatest pleasJ are in advising you that the Morton Efficiency Dehydrator is the most commercially successful plant that has come (under my notice and experience. and probably 1 hadi better opportunities for investigating and judging the various typ: f of plants in Australia, than anyone else. during- the last six years. We are anticipating putting through 1000 to 1200 tons of produce .from the settlers this coming season, and at the puesent time the plant fs working fulL time on sweed's and turnips. When the plant is working at its maximum (there is nothing to touch it, for efficiency and results on the market, and from sixteen months’ experience I have come to the conclusion that such a plant is an absolute necessity wherever there are largq quantities of f.rujt produced. If there is any further detail information that I can (from my memory give you, I shall be very pleased to forward! it on your request,.” It is apparent to any thinking individual that there is no place in this Dominion more suitable than the Pukekohe district for the successful running of a factory qf this character, Not' only can vegetables and fruits be handled but the proximity to the Waikato River means that' whitebait, eels, kumaras etc., can also be dehydrated and packed for despatch to the world’s markets. This means that the restaurants and hqtels! of London, Paris and New York can enjoy the products of sunny Franklin with the same ease as the people living rin this district. Interesting pictures of this industry are shown in illustrated articles in the September issues of the N.Z. Farmer and N.Z. Fruitgrower. A feature of the public meetingwill be a display of the many products which can be successfully cured in this method, which readily returns ,to their fresh state and flavour on soaking in water. Ladies are particularly urged! to be present as the exhibition is of special interest to housewives. Further articles on this profitable venture will appear up to date of meeting, which is set for October 10th, at * the Carnival Tea Rooms,

Great interest is being aroused in the forthcoming public meeting to take place in the Carnival Tea Rooms on Tuesday, the 10th October, on theproposed Dehydration Company for Pukekohe., Mr J, H. Morton, who is internationally known as an industrial engineer will personally address of dehydrated goods (scientifically articflcially dried). Mr Morton constructed one of his own patent plants at the request of the Irial Government during the war. .toi drying vegetables for the British and' French armies, Doing this work while he was acting ns supervising engineer to" southeastern section qf England tor ■-ne British Board of Agriculture in. 1917-18. After the war, while acting as consulting engineer to His Majesty’s Office of Works (British Public s>Works Department), he tiesigned and superintended construcion of 13 large units of his patent dehydrations in various parts of England and Scotland after thp’ signing of the armisticq, which was the largest programme of artificial drier construction ever undertaken,. The total evaporating capacity of these plants being 30,000 tons of moisture per year. Since the war. Mr Morton has constructed in* various parts of Australia factories containing his patent plant for dry curing miscellaneous fruits, vegetables, meats and fish, the principle of these being the now world-famous Kendenup Estate, the manger of which writes as follows tlo an acquaintance in the Bay of Plenty, where by the way, a company is in process of formation :—- The following letter has been received by a Bay cf Plenty business man from Mr Frank J. Cocfte, general manager of the De Ga'ris Kendenup (W A.) Development Co.. Ltd. : “Yours "of August 11th re Morton’s Efficiency Dehydrator,, at Kendenup, W.A. It is rather remarkable you should write me re this dehydrator, as when practising as a consulting engineer in Australiq, I have during the last six years had the opportunity of investigating and' reporting upon five other makes of evaporators When Mr Morton in December, 1920, called upon us in Perth I was prepared with all the necessary dgfa to make enquiry from him on his patented dehydrator, After! half an hour’s conversation I reported to my chief, Mr C. J. De * Garis* that Morton’s machine was more up-to-date and in its design comprised all that was required of it ito treat varied products such as we expected from Kendenup. The plant was erected and dffy (fruits and vegetables produced in fifty-five days, and in three days mor.e was working continuously on apples. During the last three months of 1921 and t'he first five months of this year vhe plant has been continuously run-