Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-08-22

ITS PEACH oANNEmEs-ExTENT OF THE OPERA.
TIoNs-LABoR, ETC.

ITS PEACH oANNERIEs-EXrENr OF THE OPERA
TIoNs-LABoR, ETC.
Correspondence Of the Commercially
CAMDEN, Aug. 90.
During recent visit to Camden your cores
pondent took occasion to pass through the sew
eral canning establishments Of the place, and
witness the operations that are sufficiently
familiar TO most Of our readers from previous
descriptions not to need any further explanations
at this time. The business peach canning has
been more extensive this year than was antici-
pated first, because the crop il not 80 much
failure as was believed, and, second. because OF
the glut in the Northern markets which reduced
the price 80 as to deter the growers from making
shipments.
The oldest cannery in the place is that Of
Messrs Stetson & Ellison. This firm will prob
ably put up this year $50, 900 cans of peaches
besides vast quantities Of other fruits and vege-
tables, They employ over 100 hands most Of
whom are women and girls. Their operations
will not be quite as extensive this year as last
Carter Evans If another firm in the same
business. This is the second year OF their
establishment. They employ about 10 hands and
will pnt up $4,000 cans OF peaches this season.
These firms make their own cans at a cost OF
little over cents piece last year the cost
was only cents.
About three miles out, at the Five Points"
the third establishment in the State for preser-
wing fruit by the Alden process, has been es-
tablished. The proprietors have formed an as
sociation under the title of THE Farmers Fruit
Preserving Company, of Lebanon, Del with
Thomas Pickering President, J. g. Brown,
Superintendent, and j. Green, Secretary and
Treasurer, with capital of $25 600 The stock
holders generally reside in the neighborhood
and own and control about 5000 acres of land
from which part OF their supply of fruit will
come. Ground was broken for the foundation
OF the binding in the first week Of May last, and
the company have been in active operation sew
eral weeks. During my visit l25 hands were
employed, day and night The amount OF fruit
which such an establishment is capable OF pre-
serving during the season in simply
immense. And the COMPANY expect to
increase their capacity before another season.
They now have two evaporators, capable Of dry
ing 800 baskets of peaches per day, and expect
to erect three more for use next summer. OF
necessity, their already extensive building will
have to be enlarged. The establishment, when
fully completed, will require the full capacity of
the sixty horse boiler which has been provided.
All the dried fruit leaving this establishment
will receive the brand of the Rising Snn.n At
all the canning and drying establishments in
this section the famale hands are paid about 81
per day The fruit is prepared for the evapora-
tors chiefly by young women boys and girls
assisting IN some minor portions Of the labor,
Eighteen cents basket is the average price paid
for pairing and stoniug peaches.
A man can make II 50 per day at pairing and
cOrng apples at 8 cents basket. This labor
is done by machinery. The skin and core of
the apple is utilized by being passed through the
evdporator and dried. They are readily sold at
cents per pound and are used for making iel-
ly. Peach skins and pits are worthless though
efforts are being made to utilize them.
Fruit dried by the Alden process il superior to
that sun-dried and not inferior to that put in
cans. Heretofore the price at which it has been
retalled has been 80 high that it has not come
into general use but the price next winter will
he lower and the people will soon learn to set a
high value on fruit preserved by this process.
Millions of dollars will he added to the wealth
of this State through the Alden invention and
We therefore hail with satisfaction the establish
ment Of the Farmers Preserving Go. and it's
adoption Of this process in the preservation Of
irult. wish the enterprise, what 1t is likely to
attain to, abundant success "