The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-08-03
CRNPS IN CANS.

"
firms in the city are quite busy. In
conversation, several prominent pack
ers stated yesterday that they antici-
pated that an unprecedented amount
of fruits and vegetables would be can
ned during the next three months, and
that the trade generally would assume
proportions which would not have
been considered possible five years ago.
The periodical strikes of the canmak-
ers are universally deprecated as liable
to drive business away from the city (;
and there appears to be q general de-
sire for the establishment of perma.
nant "all-the-year-ro -roundu rate for the
payment of the canmen, and thus pre-
vent abuses practiced on both men and
employers. In consequence of the
recent strikes and ensuing scarcity of
cans, several firms have been com-
PEELED to obtain machine-made cans
from New Jersey, and probably by
next season the latter will be very
largely used. Last year, it will be re-
membered, that owing to the great
scarcity of peaches the trade did not
keep pace with the growth of former
years, aud the general product of the
packers was comparatively light.
WHAT THE PEACH PACKERS THINK.
The opinion seems to he that the
forthcoming peach crop will not be 20
large as recent reports would lead one
| to suppose, but all the packers unite in
predicting crop large enough to meet
| all reasonable demands. Peachts will
be cheap aud plentiful and of good
quality, but no "gluts" are either
anticipated or desired. This state of
affairs will be even more profitable to
| the growers then if they secured full
crops and then had to bring the fruit
to ovCrstOckcd markets. judging in
the light of past seasons, the number
OF peaches to he packed this summer
In Bf',imore will be about 600 900
eases, or II 400 0U0 cans, weighing 43,-
200,o pounds. This enormous
amount, which by some is considered
much too low an estimate, has never
been cqualed before in baltimore, and
may be attributed to the growing prof
its to the trade and the consequent
rapid increase of facilities Since last
summer seven or eight new packing
houses, some large and some small,
have been established, and are now in
active operation. The packing of to-
matoes is not carried on so generally
as in former years, as it has been found
more profitable to establish the pack
ing houses in the country, near the
growing regions, and thus save cost of
transportation.
PEAS, STRING BEANS AND PEARS
are also largely canned, particularly
the former, of which it is estimated .
O0O,GOO cans have been put up this sea-
son. The packing Of peas has been
found highly profitable, and all the |
firms have made large increase in |
their output in this line. OF string
beans about 800, 0G0 cans will he put up |
at various intervals. The packers, as Il |
rule, only can them when they are un.
able to obtain other vegetables or
fruits There is some complaint in |
this particular about the habit of some |
of the firms of buying the beans in |
large quantities and putting them
away in salt until they can find time to
can them. This process is in bad |
repute. as ii destroys the flavor of the
vegetable entirely. Ofpears there will
be possibly 10000 cases put out; and
thus on all sides general and highly
tlattering increase of business is antici-
patcd.
WHEN TIE SEASONS BEGIN.
The packers season for all fruit and
vegetables of course varies, from the
market season, as it would not pay to
buy either the first or last lots of goods
for canning. The putting up of peas
was begun about the middle of Nav,
and has just about ceased, the greater
quantity of the work having been done
during June String beans are now
being worked with great rapidity, and
and will continue to be the chief arti-
cles canned until the peach season
opens, about August rth Then the
great rush will commence, and all the
establishments will be run far into the
night in order to put up all the fruit
possible. The average price paid for
peaches to pack is about ~ per box of
one bushel, but the rate often falls be-
low, or nearly doubles on these figures,
according to the grade and state of the
The season for peaches runs
until about September Goth, although
the fruit has been canned in this city
in October. During the winter, of
the great establishments are
engaged with oysters. The market
for Baltimore canned goods is very
general, as the fruit has first-class
throughout the New England
and western states.
WHAT THE WORKMEN EARN.
The question OF earnings among the
great army of working people in the
various establishments will be found
Of singular interest as showing the
Importance of the canning trade with
reference to the city's prosperity. In
he forty establishments there are en-
amDlOVed DrobuLIy II OOO man |