The comet., 1879-11-22
Fruit Canning I'm Iowa,
by suEI FOSTER.

by suEL FoSrEh'
Perhaps the fruit subject would be more
connected to speak of other kinds more
costly and luxurious than the apple, before
proceeding 10 the vegetable department OF
the garden, farm and market. But as the
canning of fruits and vegetables is OF COM
paratively modern invention, and its use
now is very great and fast increasing, and
as the people at Muscatine, Iowa, have OF
late years made such great advance in guam
tity and quality OF those products, am in
duced to speak of them while fresh in my
MUD
MUscATINE VEGETABLES.
The largest island on the Mississippi
River above st. Louis bears the old Indian
name Of Muscatine. 1t contains over ~
600 acres of land, most of it good farm
land; some of it low and wet, some more
Of it subject to inundation in times OF very
high water, but most of it in above high
water; dry sandy loan, producing early
vegetables to better advantage than any
other place in all this region of country; so
much SO that Muscatine has become one OF
the largest points for shipping early vege~
tables of any III the Northwest. The lead
ing products of this island are watermelons,
tomatoes, Nv eet corn aud sweet potatoes.
| have made inquiry as to the quantity OF
those products raised on this island. During
the watermelon season, from the middle OF
July to the middle OF September, they ship
ped out from this place besides what the
town consumed AN average OF six carloads
of eleven tons-sixty-six tons daily Tor
fifty days. The weight of the melons was
twenty to twenty-five pounds, and their
quality is very excellent and celebrated In
all the cities within five hundred miles.
The cantelope and nutmeg melon are also
raised.
Sweet potatoes yield from 100 to 200
bushels per acre; about 500 acres'producing
"a, 900 barrels, of two and a half bushels
each, and sell at $1.25 to 81 a barrel. The
early corn and tomatoes are sent oil whilst
they bring good price, by railroad and
boat 1t being known that Muscatine
Island was the greatest place in our State
for the above-named vegetables, it induced
the building of a canning factory, which
was started in time for sweet corn and to-
matoes, of which they have put up $4,000
cans of corn, 81, 200 of tomatoes, and 5000
cans cooked sweet potatoes.
THE PROFIT IN TOMATOES.
The price paid at the canning factory for
sweet-corn is two and half cents per
dozen ears; tomatoes twenty cents per bush.
ell. l raised on my upland place small
piece of tomatoes, half an acre and twelve
square rods, 239 bushels marketed; and
there are now on the vines ripe and green
ones enough for over sixty bushels. They
were set out in June, not early enough by
two weeks, and the drought in August and
September damaged them some. AT the
groceries in the city we got thirty cents,
but most Of them went to the canning fac
tory at twenty cents. At these prices we
can make more on tomatoes than on field
crops of corn and potatoes. Tarigen is the
best we have raised. Achme is very good.
These are large, round and smooth. Ex-
celsior also is very good.
There would benothing more profit
able than for some entcrprising man to
start canning factory at some impor-
tant point on the railroad. Itwould pay
without doubt. There are hundreds
of bushels of fruit and vegetables too
ripe for shipping purposes, that could
be made marketable by putting up in
cans. If it can be made to pay in one
place it can in another place.