The Democratic advocate., 1882-07-08
The Canning Interest.

]. F. Pennington, in the Industrial Re
view, discoarses in the following interest
ing way Of an important Peninsula indus
try;
Within the last decade the fruit canning
and preserving industry has steadily and
rapidly developed in Delaware and the
Eastern Shore Of Maryland, and the pros
perUas farmer who does nos have one or
more evaporzting machines On his good
acres IS REGARDED as slow and unpFugres-
ssye, while every town has It's basket OF box
factory and tin shop giving employment to
hnndrcSls Of boys and girls, who would 9TH
erwise remain idle at home
The number Of acres now under cultiva-
ton in strawberries, blaekberries and rasp-
berries viii approximate 80 600, and whilss
the shipments for 1878 amounted TO 6,00O,-
900 quarts the subsequent shipments Up 10
1880 show aa Increase of ). .0tl0, 900 quarts
How TO dispose Of the surplus fruit,--that
Is, the sofs and specked fruit, which would
not admit Of shipment, was problem long
unsolved by the growers A Protracted
rain storm rssted il ON the trees. and an
overstocked market piled ii IN pyramidal
heaps in the fields for compost
Now, however, even the kernel Of the
peach Is turned 10 good account, for tons
Of the seed are shipped annually TO the
drug manufactures Of our large cities. The
surplus crops Of blackberries. rAspberries,
&c, are no longer dumped overheard or left
upon the vines 30 water rot or shrivel IN
the sun Such fruits are Row canned and
preserved and fnd ready sale, and COM
mand even fancy prices, no. only in cur
own but also in the best markets Of Euro
pean countries One would imagine that
peaehe., grown as they are to such an un-
limited extent, with constant and immense
additions Of new and vigorous trees, owing
to the rapidly decaying nature Of the fruit,
would prove a serious pecuiary loss during
what is vulgzrly termed sglut" in the
market. And 50 it did, Few years back
But now everything IS saved, except the
parings, and it is even confidently anticipa-
ted that some enterprising genius viii turn
this refuse matter into dollars and cents at
no distant day. The invention and intro
daetion Of machinery 10 utilize so great
pecuniary advantage the thousands of tons
Of ''waste" fruit has saved thousands OF
dollars 10 the growers and is building up
an industry in Delaware and Maryland that
must in few short years take precedence
of all Others.
All the perishable and unmarketable
fruit, peaches, pears, apples, &c, are gath
cred and taken to the sorting room, when
the most unsound are separated from the
medium good and the latter are pared
and quartered. They are then spread upon
wooden trays, which revolve upon endless
chains in an enclosed frame work, the heat
being kept at an even temperature by means
of conducting pipes from furnace in the
cellar. This is what is known as eonserv
ed fruit. 1t has bright, rich, color,
most delicious favor, and retails at from 40
to so, and has commanded as high as go
cents per pound. Tomatoes, peas, beans,
corn, &c, as well as turkeys, chickens, ducks
geese, &c, are now canned in the Peninsu-
Ia. One firm alone canned 85 tons of to-
nlatoes in one season. There are, accord
ing to the best information obtained, 90
evaporating factories and 81 canning estab-
lishments, fruit, vegetable and poultry, be-
sides hundreds Of basket and box factories
and tin shops, for the manufacture oftin cans
and cases, all of which are directly identi6-
ed with the industry. There are about
10000 people-men, women and children
employed in various capacities in the es
adjustments, which, with the piekers dur
ing the proper season, will encrease the ag
gregate to 10000 employees.
Although most of the proprietors firmly
but courteously decline to have their private
business ventilated in detail in public print,
they are decided and unanimous that no
other industry in the Peninsula has acquir-
ed so widespread a reputation or has de-
veloped so rapidly into such immense pro-
portions in so short period, with unmis-
taxable evidence of future growth and pros
perity as has the fruit canning industry.