New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-14
C1\NED GOODS.

The canned goods packers have just closed
the first session of their National Association
in Philadelphia, having arrived at an amicablc
agreement, which will he tidings as important
TO the culinary department OF the country as a
like honorable adjustment of difficulties be-
tween railroad capitalists would he to its fnan-
cial interests. The packing and sealing of
those little papercd tin cans which stare at Us
out of every grOcer's window, or on top OF
every asIl-cart, has rapidly grown to be one OF
the large manufacturing industries OF the cOun-
try, employing a working capital OF $2O.OOO,-
900. From one to two hundred millions OF these
cans are annually "packcd with every variety
1" of fish, flesh, fowl, fruit, and vegetable to be
found from Maine to Oregon" and scattered
over the country.
The growth of this particular industry has
an Odl bearing on our social and domestic
life, worth attention for a moment. Forty
years ago, the time uld thought OF the heads
of household were required, not only as now,
to find money to buy food, but literally to find
the food During the Summer months the
markets were laden with cheap and plentiful
provisions. During the Winter and early
Spring, especially in the country, there would
by Pharaoh's lean kline, if the mother of the
family had not given at least twO-thirds OF
her time to the sailing down of meat, making
of lard, pickles, preserves, and drying OF veg
ctabcs and fruits. Rank or wealth gave no
immunity from this heavy annual duty. Mar
tina Washington and Dolly Madison were
forced to 81 look as well to the ways of their
households" in this regard as did the wise
woman of SOlomOn's days whose worth was
beyond rubics, or else they found themselves
with lean arders in the days of need. There
are few of our middlc-aged readers born out
side of the large cities who have not IN irk-
some remembrance of how much of the time
and the talk of the household went to the
pork in the brine or the beef drying over
hickory smoke. or the long glistcning rows Of
Jars filled with ruby or amber jclies. If
women did not then live to cat, they lived in
a great measure to make ready for men to eat.
Certain shrewd old hOusekeepcrs used even
then to grope after air-tight methods of pre-
serving food they tipped. the stems of grapes
with wax swathed them in cotton, sealed
bottles of berries, and buried them under
ground. Then came the reign of Theoretically
year every kitchen was full of boilers of
hot water and boilers of stcaming vegetables,
soldering irons, and un.ki!ed woikwOmen
agonizing over scaldcd fingers or splintered
glass, or fcrmcning jars going off like salvOs
of artillery in the cellar These were the
pioneers who bore the burden and heat of the
day. The canned goods packers at last took
the field, and the housckeepcr's tolls were at an
end. She need not take of her glove TO write
her orders in September and presto her
santry shelves are filed with little cans ready
to melt into delicious soups, or meat. or all
the wealth of the fields or garden. Our pack
ers have the work of magicians to do, and
would he paid like masicians but for the fact
that our housckeeper still declares that their
cans are not rs her own cans-thcy lack GER
tain honesty of flavor, weight, and substance.
Neither do they rs yet compete with the
French canned goods. Hence came the neces-
sity for the present convention, the packers