Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 135, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1920 — PRESERVE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRESERVE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Successful Drying Plants Prove of Great Value in Various . * Parts of Country. RMS FOR Elfcs MART r r - NWMtiiaf Farmers , Can Club Toand Build Device at Comparatively Small Expense Savo Women Much Work. Fruit and vegetables wait for no man when they reach their prime and thia time Is usually Just when the farmer’s wife is busiest and the days are hottest. Nowadays, help la very difficult to obtain In the country, yet the family's supply of fruit and vegetables for winter must be saved when they are in season. In many neighborhoods the community drier for presetting surplus fruits and vegetables has proved a godsend to the women ■vfeghearlt. The time to build a drying plant is in the spring before the rush of summeri»work sets in. If a num tier of farmers Club together to erect such a drier the expense to each family is small, WTiere only a few families wish so use a co-operative, plant a •mall but satisfactory drier may be

built by the following directions, which are recommended by the United Statqa department of agriculture: . Use, Thermo* Principle. The thermos or tireless cooker principle te used in this drier; that is, a •pace of 3 or 4 Inches is allowed between the walls of the house, to be filled with sawdust This holds the heat and relieves the necessity of a constant watch over the fire. The furnace should be placed at the opposite end from the door and a stovepipe run from furnace end to the door end and back with sufficient elevation to cause good draft. A drier of this size and type should, with good managwnnnt. dry from 4 to G bushels a and should pay for itself in one

•earnm. Vet weather has na efteet og >la Qrpe of drigr. | Xhg bewaia i b«» 12 M Ml V rights Ln front are fl feet 8 Inches. The uprights in back are fl feet 2 Inches to give roof fl Inches fall fpr watershed. Doors are fastened to 2 by 4-lnch uprights In front. Doors are 2 feet 8 inches by fl feet 8 in ches. The furnace is 15 by 15 inches by 4 feet, coverafi. with two sheet# (24gauge) black .sheet iron 2 inchps apart •—air space to prevent fire. The radiation is secured by ordinary stovet 0 J* heated fifttr the plan of a tobStco barn —a small furnace of "rock or brick is built at one end and a stovepipe carries the radiation to the opposite end of the house and back, with an elevation of 2 fbet above the furnace. This stovepipe may extend outside of the house a sufficient space to escape the eaves and an elbow ahd three or four joints may act as a chimney; or, if a chimney is preferred, it may be built at a cost of $4 or $5 additional. , „ Plan of Trays. - There are three lattice partitions in the house>inaklng four sections 32 Inches wide for drying trays; 12 inches above the rill place across a piece 2 by 4 inches on which the center uprights 2 by 4 Inches and the back upright 2by 4 Indies rest. (Put upright pieces the 2-lnch way.) The tray bearers, 1 by 3-lnch strips, are fastened to the uprights. The space between the tray bearers is filled with 2-lnch strips to act as guides for the trays and to force the draft to circulate, between the trays. If these spaces are left open It will act as a

flue and carry off the heat The sides of the trays are of % by 3-inch lumber, making the tray 3 Inches deep. The bottom of the tray is made of lattice strips % by 1% Inches, with 1-lnch space between the strips running lengthwise. The trays have a center partition to support the bottom laths and cheesecloth is used to cover the laths. There are 8 Inches from the top of one tray to the top of the next. The trays move on the bearers like a bureau drawer. A small opening must be left at top of house just above doors —an outlet for steam. A 3-inch opening at front foundation must be planned to let in cool, air to keep the from sweating. -

Several Farmers Might Co-operate in Erecting Drier of Thia Type.