The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-23
farm aud 6arden.
Conducted by DIR. THOMAS POLLARD, State
Commissioner of Agriculture
CANNING ESTABLISHMENT.

James VI. 1lnSIey, near Atlee Station
Hanover county, Va, and at the same
time an opportunity of inspecting his
well cultivated farm, well stocked with
horses, cows, hogs, and poultry, includ-
ing fine flock of turkeys.
Mr.. Tinsley conceived the idea six
years since of going into the canning
business, and commenced the same year
and has carried it out with great energy
and business tact, and with no advertis-
ing and no newspaper puffs, his goods,
by their merits, have established re-
putation that gives them a ready sale
over Virginia and the South This year
he had IS acres in tomatoes, and rs
acres In sugar-corn, stringless beans,
English peas, and lima beans. He has
also quite large orchard of peaches and
pears. These are all raised for canning;
this year he had little fruit. His land
lies well, is of light soil, and admirably
adapted to vegetable raising His cans
are made at his farm, and his canning
establishment is well located about a
quarter of mile from his dwelling, out of
the way Of fire from other buildings, and
removed from all oder of stables and
farm pen. The system he adopts is
what is called the Gold pack" that is
the goods, as he explains it, are put in
the cans before being cooked, and no hot
water is allowed to get to them before
they are Theoretically sealed. After seal
ing they are cooked; consequently they
are much better than those goods that
are put up in large canneries, and which
are immersed Immediately into boiling
water, and then sealed. NY process
takes much longer, as my cans have to
be taken out of the water that the air
may escape, C'vented as they call it) and
are then put back in the water, and
cooked again, whereas by the other plan,
the cans are immersed in boiling water
after being filled with fruit, and are
only cooked once after being sealed.
Mr.. Tinsley's vegetables are cooked in a
few hours after being gathered, and the
tomatoes are brought into the cannery in
the same box they are gathered in, to pre-
vent all bruising, and to have them firm
and whole. His goods are sold at the
highest market prices, and find ready
sale. He deserves much praise for his
enterprise and industry, and if more of
our young men would follow his example,
and institute new industries on farms,
and not flock to the cities, they would
benefit themselves and the State.
Mr.. Tinsley finds 1t necessary to use
fertilizers quite freely in raising his vege-
tables, and found better results from
fertilizers that he has compounded than
those he has bought, and has also saved
money. By experiments. he says he has
found out in what proportions to mix the
phosphoric acid, ammonia, and potash to
suit his soil. For this too he deserves
much praise.
We have been much interested in the
following article from the Journal of the
american Agricultural Association, most
of which we give. Certainly this nine
teenth century is an era of marvels.
The power and application of electricity
seem wonderful, though in all probability
yet in their infancy.
Electro-H horticulture.
DR.. c. w. Siemens Report of New
and Marvellous Experiments
The profound impression made upon
scientific men by the extraordinary dis
coveries of the past few years concern
ing the practical application of electricity
to the production of an illuminating
medium has occasioned Investigations OF
the greatest Importance into other posi-
BILE powers of the electric fluid. Among
the more recent of such investigations,
that of DR.. @. W. Siemens into the value
of the electric light in its influence upon
vegetation has been startling in the
nature of the results brought to light
and the hitherto unknown laws demon
strated. We reproduce from the New
York World, to which it was cabled by
the enterprising London correspondent
of that journal, DR.. Siemens' report on
this subject. DR.. Siemens is Fellow OF
the Royal Institute and leading mem
Der of the Institute of Civil Engineers.
"On March l, 1881, says DR.. Siemens,
q L communicated to the Royal Society
paper on the influence of electric light
upon vegetation in which l arrived at
the conclusion that the electric light
was capable Of producing upon plants
effects really comparable to those Of
solar radiation, that chlorophylle was
produced by it, and that bloom and fruit
rich in color and aroma could be de-
veloped by its aid. Ny experiments also
went to prove that plants do not, as a
rule, require period of rest during the
twenty-four hours of the day, but make