Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-10-08
SAURKRAUT FARMING.
Biggest Cabbage Farm i'm the World
How SauerIxraut is Made.

OF the fact that Chicago has the largest
"sauerkraut" factory in the world; or,
more strictly speaking, the only one, and
that almost within her city limits is the
most extensive cabbage farm in this
country, perhaps on the globe. Yet such
are the facts, and, stranger still, not
single head of cabbage grown on this
wonderful farm seeks market in the
Garden City. The cabbage district, as
it is called, lies to the west and south
west OF the stock yards, and comprises up
ward Of 2, 800 acres Of rich, heavy soil,
especially adapted to the cultivation Of
mammoth cabbage heads.
The preparation of this field for the
reception Of the plants in the spring Is
no easy task. Every foot Of land has to
be as carefully attended as if it were to
be devoted to Horticulture. In the fall
the surface of the ground is covered with
an abundance Of rich fertilizers and then
plowed, narrowed and rolled. Early in
the spring the soil is again disturbed by
the plow and harrow, and the surface of
the ground is made as smooth and free
from Jumps as is possible. The ground
is then laid off with check rover, the
rows being from thirty to thirty-three
inches apart, according to the variety to
be planted, the first crop being planted
thirty inches apart, and the other variety
thirty-three inches. The rows are as
straight as an arrow in order to allow
cultivation, yet at this season Of
their growth, the broad leaves covering
every inch of ground, the systematic
method Of planting is not easily discern
abe. After the ground has been care
fully prepared, Lila 900 plants alone
are required for 100 acres and for the
entire district some fifteen million.
This number of plants is required for the
first setting" and since many are de-
stroyed by vermin-the maggot and the
fy-fully one-third more plants are re-
quired, making grand total Of 20, 0O0,-
900 plants necessary to supply the Chi
cago cabbage district
The first shipments of cabbage are
placed in open or stock cars, and care
fully packed to insure their arrival in
good shape, no matter how far their
destination may be- The stalks are cut
off and outside leaves trimmed. The
first layer on the bottom Of the car is
placed with the stalk butt resting on the
floor of the car. The remaining layers
downward The heads are placed in
layers three feet deep, when decks are
placed in horizontally and perpendicu-
larly, so as to equally divide the layers
and to prevent pressure from above and
laterally, to give perfect ventilation.
Loaded in this way, no crates being
used, thousands of car loads are shipped
from Chicago annually, and the cabbage
arrives at its destination in good order.
Later in the season box cars are used.
While the chief markets are in the
South. yet frequently, owing to the
failure Of the crops in the East, Chicago
ships to New York, Boston, Portland
and Providence. Last year one single
firm shipped from its own fields 46S car
loads of cabbage, all Of which arrived
at its destination in good shape.
The kraut season commences about
August fifteen ard lasts to November.
A visit to the krant factory at the height
Of the season is we'll worth making.
There IS one near Ashland avenue. just
back of the stock yards. 1t consists of
three long frame buildings one being
the cutting house and the others con
tanning the vats in which the suceulent
leaf shreds ere transformed into kraut.
During the kraut season the vicinity Of
the cutting house presents lively scene.
Wagons loaded with cabbage, ranged
two abreast, extend for blocks from the
cutting house toward the fields. At
o'clock in the morning all is activity.
The six windows of the cutting house
are thrown open and the teamsters with
their assistants begin the work Of unload
ing. Within all is full Of life, The
inspectors seize the cabbage as it flies
into the ports and if unsound it is passed
E.raI~ -, 41,o 1rocro,,o Tf 1rond 4ha bood
is tossed to one OF half hundred women,
who, with swift movement of sharp
knife, cuts off the outer leaves and
dresses it ready for the cutters. The
cutting machine is the only one Of the
kind ever made; it is run by a twenty
e-horse- power engine. and requires
four feeders to keep it busy. It cuts
with ease 100 tons of cabbabc per day,
and the shreds are as fine and long as
could be desired. The cabbage as it is
cut falls through hopper-automatic
! dumping in its action into large hand
cart, which, when filed, is wheeled to
the vat honses. The smaller OF the vat
houses contain ten tanks or vats of $50
barrels capacity, and the larger twenty
eight Since these tanks can be filled
FIVE times in a season their capacity is
almost unlimited. About 60, 900 barrels
are cured every season. These watts are
huge vessels Of sixteen feet in diameter
ard eight feet high. As fast as the cab
bage is cnt, and after being properly
prepared. it is dumped into one Of these
vats and covered with the prescribed
amount of fine imported salt When the
kraut has sufficiently covered the bottom
of the vat, to the depth of two or three
feet, number Of men, fitted for the task
/ Nv raacon If their Fa1atAffian rronortions