The dryers used by Wellhouse & Son are made as follows: A rough building
eighteen feet square and sixteen feet to the eaves is built. In building
the roof, a lantern or ventilator is built along the ridge, over an
opening in the ridge two feet wide. At eight feet from the ground is
built a slatted floor. The timbers [?] upon which this floor is laid are
best made of one-inch boards, ten to twelve inches wide, placed only ten
or twelve inches apart. The floor slats are best made of poplar, as pine
often flavors the fruit. They are sawn from inch lumber one and one-half
inches on one face and one and one-quarter inches on the other face. The
slats are nailed to the floor joists [?] with the wide faces uppermost
and about one eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch apart, thus making
the crevices wider below, which, together with the narrowness of the
floor joists [?], allows free circulation and prevents clogging. The
lower floor is of earth, cinders, stone, or other material. On each
side, near the ground, are two openings, each two feet square, with
shutters to close them; these are to admit fresh air, and can be closed
to regulate draft. A chimney is built up through the center of the
building, out through the roof. A door is made to each floor; in front
of the upper door is built a balcony reached by outside stairs. This
completes the dryer.
It may be used for storing hay, fodder, tools, etc., after the drying
season is over. The upper floor might be made removable. Many farmers
have a suitable building if the slatted floor is added. Any kind of a
wood or coal stove (or a brick furnace) is placed in the lower room and
a good heat kept up; maximum 150 degrees. The prepared fruit is simply
spread evenly upon the slatted floor from four to twelve inches deep.
Fire must be continuous, and a dryer eighteen feet square will dry 100
bushels in twenty-four hours.
Bleaching is done as follows: An upright box about two feet square and
twelve feet long is built outside against the balcony. A set of trays
are made to fit it; these trays have bottoms of galvanized-wire
screening. A pot of sulphur is kept burning on the ground under the
center of said box, the apples, peeled and cored, are placed in the tray
and the tray slid in above the sulphur. An endless chain mechanism moves
the tray up ten to twelve inches and another goes in; as they come to
the top an employee removes them and runs the fruit through a slicer and
then spreads it out on the drying floor. In twenty-four hours the
product will be dry, but not alike; they are then piled up under cover,
and pass through a sweat, making them alike throughout. As soon as cool
they are packed, and pressed into boxes for shipment. This dryer costs
but little, and the building may be used eight to ten months of the year
for any cleanly purpose. President Wellhouse has six of these dryers in
a row in one of his orchards. A single bleacher answers for several
dryers.