Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-10-01
Canning Peaches.

ltrOm the C1nelnhattl thZetpe.l
Hitherto Baltimore has had almost the
monopoly OF the business Of canning peach
es for the trade. The great peach orchards
of New Jersey and adjacent territory gave
facilities for obtaining peaches in quantities
and at prices that would pay good profit
on the investment. But this year the Eas
tern peach crop has failed the mountain of
supply failed 10 come to the Mahomet of de-
mand, and so Mahomet went to the noun
tain. This year the peach growers ofinland
Southwestern Ohio were favored with fair
crops, and one of the Baltimore peach can
ming establishments-L. McMurray & Go. -
being determined to keep up its trade, con
ceived the idea OF coming to Cincinnati to
gather and put up their supply. They rent
ed the buildings Of Wilson, Eggleston Il Co.,
on Deer Creek road, and set to work about
four weeks ago We visited the place re-
Gently and were surprised at the extent Of
| the operations. The door was almost
blocked with the boxes of peaches just re
ceived and express wagons were arriving
with more BY courtesy of the proprietor
we made tour of nearly the whole premi-
SEES, and witnessed all of the operation ex-
capt that which involves the deepest secret
of the.art. Much ofthe process is claimed as
a secret, and it would be a violation ofrights
to make it known; but the public part of
the operation may be interesting.
In the first place, we beheld three or four
long tables, made of boards about two feet
wide, running the whole length OF the build
ing. On each side of these sat as closely as
they could, old women, young women, and
girls, each supplied with two plates, one te
hold the parings, and one to receive the
pared peaches Little boxes were placed or
the table, at convenient distances, filled witt
peaches to be pared. These women ant
girls sit hour after hour paring-iresh peach
J es being supplied and the pared ones takei
away by runners. The work is neatly AM
carefully done.
The next step is to cut them, and remov
mperfections, This is done at large ia
BILE, where also the cans are filled with tn
cold peaches. A rich sirup is then added t
fill up the interstices, and with this our dc
scription must cease. The rest OF the pro
cess is the private property of the proprit
= tors. The finished cans are placed in small
r open-topped boxes, and hauled to the store
4 house, where they are piled up to awai
= painting and labelling. The latter operatio
can be delayed, however, until just beior
shipping.
). There are nearly eight hundred person
: employed by this firm, of whom nearl
f seven hundred are women and girls, I
!, whom this work is God send. Ten me
are Kept busy soluerlng cans, one OF wv
n are engaged in receiving the peaches, an
d three are busy in storing the cans away
), Such lot of canned peaches as is gathere
together now in their store house has nev'
:. been seen in Cincinnati. The floor OF
large pork house is covered to the height {
forr or five feet-a stock sufficient to fec
an army. Yet, we are informed the stock
much less than is usually put up in Bait
l. more by this firm. The cost OF peaches b.
" ing greater, will, as matter Of course, ter
Al to make the luxury of canned peaches mo-
q expensive during the coming year.
. The working force is sufficient to use Y
d seven hundred bushels of peaches dali
e which would make about twelve thousar
/ cans. But the supply has not been sufficel
I 10 produce this quantity all the time. v
Is understand that this week will probably Ell
{ !. the business, by reason of the exhaustion
y the crop.
a Messrs, McMurray & Go. will store the
y stock here, and will ship from here to {
y orders. We hope this years experime
n may Justify the establishment of perm
u nent business of this kind in this city, f
u the maintenance of which our shipping {
!, cilities, and the producing capacity of Il
~ country, give ample warrant.