THE FARM.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 237, 27 May 1881, Page 4

THE FARM.

FRUIT- DP.YIXI I INDUSnO!

Tii'k new fruit-drying industry to which we made reference last Thursday will, there is but little doubt, become of great importance to this Colony, and the benefits to be derived from the patent must be obvious to all. As we have stated, Hr F. A. Pulleino is the enterprising introducer of the patent machines used in the p:c ress of fruit-dry-ing. This mode of preserving fruit must not be assoc' -.ted in any way with the dried fruit, the term applied to the articles dried in ovens or in the sun Another method for preserving apples is by packing them in casks, &c., which is no doubt known to many of our readers, but these for the most part turn out a dirty and miscellaneous looking compound, liable to the attack of insects, and at best but a poor substitute for fresh fruit. Perhaps the most appropriate term for the productions by the new apparatus wonhl be that which Mr Pnlleine gives it, evaporated fruit. Fruit-evaporat-ing was first introduced and patented by the Aldin Preserving Company, in America in 1870, and it has now become a great industry in the United .States, the dried fruit being exported to England and other countries of Eli rope, with very profitable results. Many patents have been granted in the States for various descriptions of machines, the latest being the “ Automatic,” patented in Philadelphia, in IS7O. This is the kind of machine which Mr Pnlleine lias procured, and with which lie has turned out the samples he is now exhibiting, lie was for about seventeen years a resident of New Zealand, but recently went to Kivopo, and afterwards to America, Previous to going home, however lie had made a tour through the colonics, and was thus enabled to form a good idea as to whether the fruit-drying could lie carried on in them to any advantage, lie purchased the sole right for using the “Automatic” in the colonies, and chose Tasmania as the best field for commencing operations, which lie says, is the largest fruit-produciug place, in proportion to its area, in the colonies. He ordered the machine, which he now works, to lie forwarded here by the <|uickest possible route, in order to catch the early fruits of the season. Put in this lie was disappointed, for, through miscarriage, it did not got hero till the middle of February, by which time a great many kinds of fruit were out of the market. However, apples, plums, apricots, and blackberries were obtained, and with these Mr Pnlleine began experimenting. The result-s have come up tolli.s most sanguine expectations, and that the samples produced are of excellent quality, can ho seen on viewing them. The apples include Alexanders, Alfristons, Mobli's Codlins. and others : and among the plums are Sydney lates and prunes, some of the latter looking very natural, the bloom still remaining on tlmn. Some fruit, before it is committed to the heating process, had to undergo certain preparation: the apples have to bo cored, pared, and sliced, which is done by one of those little ingenious and lately-invented machines, whilst the plums and other fruit of this kind have to bo stoned. Tic hlackberiics and such soft fruit are quite ready for being operated upon directly they come olf the trees. Tim whole secret of affair is the thorough evaporation of all moisture from the fruits, which is done I>v

subjecting them to intense heat, The machine in which this is accomplished is a very simply-constructed one, but great care and regulation is required in using it. The mode of working we will briefly describe. The fruit is placed in single layers on trays, having galvanised wire bottoms. The trays are run into a frame erected over a small furnace, from which the the boat rises, and permeating through the wire, affccls the fruit, thus reducing it to the required dry state. The heat is easily generated, and tlie consumption of fuel in doing so is very small, A fire is lighted in a stove, termed tlie heater, made of iron, and this being rendered red hot, communicates the heat to a number of iron tubes arranged round it. and between it and a galvanised iron outer ease. The tubes are thus tilled with hot air, and the draught of cold air which is allowed to get in underneath sends the rarified air up and throu h tlie trays, 'flic temperature that can lie raised in tlie machine to /hich we are alluding is nearly as much a SOOileg. The first tray inserted is entered from tlie bottom, remaining directly over the furnace. The time it should be left there is regulated by tlie degree of tlie temperature of the hot-air currents, and by tlie amount of water contained in the fruit or vegetables to be evaporated. After the first tray has remained the required time next the top of tiic furnace, a second tray is introduced in tlie same manner, and this system is repeated until the first tray reaches the top of the machine with its contents perfectly cured. The different ranees of temperature through wide i it passes is regulated so as to secure tlie best possible results to the fruit, the correct atmospheric condition underlying the whole business and being absolutely necessary to j success. In the •* Automatic ” machine the | trays arc of improved construction, facilitating labour, and so contrived as to avoid

uneven results. There is also in this kind of machine an attachment for utilising tho caloric from the smoke-pipe and increasing the draught through the drying-llue, This attachment is not fixed to the small machine we have inspected, owing to the unsuitability of the premises in which it is placed, but the patentee claims this as one of the most important features in the invention, especially in the dehydration of hops. To return to the fruit. When taken out of the trays, the fruit undergoes no further treatment beyond the packing of it, ready for sending abroad. After the drying process lias been gone through, Ibe fruit is left in a hard anil tough state, and a large quantity of it can lie" 1 compressed into a small space. The boxes used arc a very convenient and portable size. If skilfully packed the fruit will retain its flavour and color for several years. The dried fruit is more particularly adapted for cooking purposes. Before use it has to he steeped in luke-warm water for a little time, and by these means a certain amount i of moisture is taken up again by the fruit, making it very much like f'resli. As regards the size of the machines used they vary considerably. The one used by Air I’ulieiiio for bis experiments is the smallest i size nnmnfactuied. The trays, g’O in mini- j her, are -ft square. The whole machine : stands about 12ft. high, the furnace, j

standing Oft. high, being included. The furnace itself is about oft, in diameter. This size of a machine is very useful, ami takes but little time in erection : in fact, if wanted for drying raspberries, it could be carried into the garden where the fruit grows, and there set up. The fruit could thus be picked into the trays and at once undergo the drying process. Mr I’ullcine has found the small machine very suited to the limited amount of work it has been re-

quired to do for the experimenting. By the barque (.'arietta, which arrived here recently from New York, Air I’ulioine received three large machines, with trays sft. square, each capable of turning out f>! times as much fruit as the one at present in use, and which are intended for work

when more extensive operations are begun. Since Mr Pnlleine purchased the patent for tlie colonies lie has made several improvements to the machine, which lie lias patented in Tasmania this year as the “Improved Automatic.” What Mr I’ulleino claims for the “Improved Automatic” is—lst. The improved connection made with it to the heater i.s such that it is free fro n fire. 2nd. The simplicity of its mechanism and mode of working. 3rd. Its economy in running expenses, as it consumes less fuel and requires less labour to attend to it than any other evaporator that will do tlie same amount of work. 4th. fts uniform working, as tlie fruit evaporated by it is very uniform, and of superior excellence, ’flic expense in working tlie machine is not heavy, for, as we have already said, very little fuel is consumed, and besides tlie refuse from the apples--the cores and parings—can bo utilised in making jolly, of which Mr Pulleino lias shown a splendid specimen. Tke price at which tlie fruit can be oflcrcd for sale will, therefore not bo very high, and although calculations as to the exact price to lie charged for it have not yet been made, it is asserted that good value for money will lie given. The proportion of dried fruitto fresh fruitasvognrdstheir use for culinary purposes is six to one : for instance, one pound of the dried apples goes as far as six pounds of fresh apples. A ready market for the product is to lie found in Singapore, India, and Ceylon, m addition to the requirements of oiir own and the adjacent colonies. Mr Pnlleine intends exhibiting his samples of dried fruit at the forthcoming Autumn Horticultural Show, to tie held on Tuesday week, when the public will have an opportunity of judging of the importance of tlie industry, and they will no doubt lie as satisfied with tlie specimens as those gentlemen who have already seen them, and who speak of them in tlie highest terms of approbation. As soon as tlie affair has been properly ventilated, an 1 the good to be derived from it lias been made well known, it is the hope of Mr Pnlleine to form a company for starting a manufactory on a largo scale, and there is scarcely any do ill . but that he will find many willing speculators to enter into the business with him. Mr Pulleino states that tlie atmosphere of Hobart is especially adapted to tlie successful treatment of fruits, and those which are produced here retain an extraordinary amount of flavor after evaporation. We understand that it is Mr Puiloine's intention to haven practical demonstration of tlie value of his dried fruits by having the different varieties prepared and cooked under his directions, and then allow the articles in which the fruit is used to lie partaken of, so Hint it can lie seen whether they are suited to tlie purposes for which they are said to lie. in addition to fruit, nearly all descriptions of vegetables can lie treated by tlie machines in a simi'a" way to the other articles, and experiments to show that such is the case are shortly to be made. The Automatic machines are also invaluable for drying hops, and have been proved to lie so. Mr Pnlleine has operated upon this; product, and the result has been quite as satisfactory j as those gained with the fruit. About 30 | bushels of the green hops have been sub- ‘ jeoted to tlie process, and tlie samples ex- ; hiliited have been really excellent : tlie j flavor, certainly, not having left them. And with various other products the i machines can be used to much advantage, i We believe Mr Pnlleine is going to take j out patents through tlie whole of the eolo- i nies for the “ improved Automatic,” and j also send samples of tlie fruit lie has now ; on hand, witii a view to open up trade, lie has already had applications from New j Zealand for specimens. One of the many ways by which Mr Pnlleine will endeavor ; to bring the fruit-drying industry under j notice, will iie by having a large variety of the fruits exhibited at the exhibition to lie ! held at Adelaide shortly. It is probable j that endeavors will lie made in South Aus- j tralia for the establishment, of a manufae- ; tory there, as a splendid field to work tlie • machines is offered there on account of the j immense quantity of grapes which are produced in that colony. These could lie j dt"i al by the process and turned into j raisins for which there would doubtless be j a large demand. l/nhurf Mrrcunj.