LORD SUDLEY'S FRUIT FARMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2561, 8 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

LORD SUDLEY'S FRUIT FARMS.

In the course of a paper read before the recent Fruit Conference, Mr T. W. Beach gave a brief description of some of the usages the fruit grown on Lord Sudelcy's fruit farms is put to, viz., the manufacture of jams. The fruit, he said, is picked in the early hours of the morning by a number of women who arrive from the neighbourhood of Staffordshire, who are glad to have the opportunity of obtaining labour in the open air. At eight o'clock a.m. a number of workpeople also arrive from the surrounding villages ; these, with the other workpeople, number about five hundred hands. The hands from Staffordshire are lodged on the plantations, as, of course, the distance from their homes is too great. The hour for the first delivery of fruit to arrives at the factory from the plantations is eight o'clock a. in. This may consist of strawberries, red and black currants, raspberries, &c.; these kinds are picked free from the stalks on the plantations, therefore the fruits are ready at once for the boiling-pan, and thus retain their freshness and flavour. This goes on without intermission, with the exception of meals, about every two hours during the day, the average quantity of fruit gathered being about fifteen to twenty tons daily. Should the fruit come into the factory iu larger quantities than can couveniently bo made at once into jam it is put down in large stone bottles and casks, perfectly air-tight, for future use, this process being known as " pulping," the fruit turning out when required in months' time, as fresh aud bright, as if recently gathered. This, of course, only applies when the fresh fruit is at once attended to, as every hour makes a difference to its appearance after being picked. The sugar used in the manufacture of the jams is known in the market aj the " White Dutch crushed," and no other substitute, such as glucose, &., is allowed on the premises. There are 16 steam pans in use, each capable of turning out one cwt. of jam every eight or ten minutes, or at the rate of about forty tons daily. We are also giving our attention to bottled fruits. The fruits being used are the freshest procurable, and are preserved without sugar; they are, therefore, ready for use in their natural state. At the works a new venture is also being tried by drying the fruits in the same manner as the Americans. We have two No. 3 patented American evaporators, capable or drying about 40 bushels of apples on 50 trays in each, the process taking about three hours. The greatest difficulty seems that the English apples being smaller than the American ones, after paring and coreing, there is not sufficient to compare in size, when made into rings, with the Americans but no doubt the flavour of the English would be superior. These machines can also be utilised for drying up plums, &c, when there is an abundant season. There is also a large evaporating room, erected similar to those on the Continent, for the purpose of drying prune plums. This is capable of drying from one to two tons at one process ; but, not being ready for last season's fruit, we cinnot speak at present of its merits. I have brought before your notice a few of last year's crystallised and dried fruits, this being our first attempt with English fruits. Twenty-two varieties of plums were tried, nine of pears, the pears from Middlesex, wc find, being superior to those known as the Perry pears. The best kind of apples, pears, &c, suitable for dessert purposes, are sent from the plantations to the various markets, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, aud other places.