The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-03-16
the PACKING BUSINESS.
Some Idea of Names Greatest
Industries

So many people of this State are interest
ed in the packing business, either directly by
owning and managing the same, or in the
collateral branches of box making, can max
ing, solder manufacturing or planting corn
for the numerous factories that the follow
ing, taken from the Commercial Balletin,
published in Boston, under date of February
27th, 1886, may be of practical value, as well
as interesting reading. The article is pub
lished under the heading of. ''The packing
business of Portland, Me-" but although the
largest part Of the capital invested in the
business is owned by Portland men, the
State at large, and particularly the farmers,
have fully as much at stake as the owners of
the factories themselves Goods packed in
Maine, especially Maine corn, goes to every
State in the Union, and the proceeds come
back here to be distributed to farmers, fish
ermen. box makers, &C., and to the employees
of the factories The cause of the packer is
the cause of the people, and unlike cotton
manufacturing, and business of that class,
in which the raw material is paid for to a
stranger. the packer ships to his customers
Maine products and the results OF Maine
labor, in every part of his product except
the tin of which the cans are made, ana this
is but about IS per cent of the cost, while in
other products of our manufacturing estab-
lishments, this ratio is far greater. The FOL
lowing is the article referred to:
1.-THE three largest packing concerns OF Maine,
and, in fact OF New England, are conferred IN
Portland. They are Burnham g. Morrill,, the
Portland Packing Company and the, Wlllsiow
Portland Packing Company pack meats TO SOME
extent; the Winslow Packing Company does not
All three of these companies pack corn succot-
ash, Lima beans, mackerel and l0bSters
The pack for the year 1881 was exceedingly
large. The dealers throughout the country over
bought somewhat The result was that in 1883
and 1884 the Maine packs were smaller as COM
pared with 1881; this decrease being partly due
to the competition from New York, Maryland ana
Territories, Iowa, Illinois. Ohio and Nebraska.
The Maine packers, however, conclude that the
season OF 1885 has demonstrated the fact that the
green corn In Maine is far superior in quality to
the corn of any other State in the Union.
The prospect is that the present pack Of Maine
corn will be quite large This is the first year
since 1882 in which any of the packers have been
able to take orders for corn early the middle
OF January. Burnham & Morrill, have Just pur-
Williams, and the one at Caseo, formerly owned
Packing Company have hired two factories of the
Winslow Packing Company-the latter company
hs wing very large number OF factories on their
hands,
MACKEREL.
Owing to over production in the year L 1SS4, the
pack of mackerel for 1886 was very much cut
down. in fact, hardly anything was dene IN tnat
line. The prospect is that there will be moder-
ate pack of this article in 1886. A great injury
was done to the mackerel business in Maine by
ling under mackerel labels. The American Sar-
dine business Is still fourish1ng along the coast.
The oil sardines all sold out long time ago,
but there Is still large quantity Of mustard sar-
dimes on hand to be disposed of, of the pack of
1885, which are being offered at S4.25 and in
some instances at $500.
OTHER FACTORIES.
The factory at Fryeburg, formerly owned by
man. Mr.. II. F. Webb of Portland has purchased
a factory at Leeds Centre and will this year oper-
ate that Sd and the %
and has for the last two or three years packed
considerable corn under dealers labels, has sold
his entire pack for 1885, at S1.1b per dozen un-
labeled. Mr.. j. p. Jordan of Portland has re-
Gently purchased from Merrill Brothers the faeto-
ry at Cumberland Centre, and IS preparing TO do a
formerly of the packing concern OF knight q War
ren of Saccarappa, now superintendent of the
tba H1n KpgSt 4 eory w At
has been idle for nearly two years. Mr.. waiter b.
Nutter of Scarboro. the treasurer OF the Union
Packing Company, will run the Union Packing
Companys shop in Scarboro this year. The shop
run to full capacity. This shop has been used
merely as a can-maklng establishment Tor the past
two or three years; it was formerly owned by
Burnham & Morrill,. So far as we can learn, the
Winsow Packing Company will operate twelve OF
thirteen factories the coming season. the Portland
Packing Company nine, Burnham s. Morrill, eight,
Union Packing Company three, II. +. Webb two;
crate more than one each. Mr. S. !. Cooling Of
Leeds Centre, is preparing to start in for large
pack at once. Twitchell & Champlin OF Portland
have already engaged considerable corn for their
9hOO which ia the OQlV one ACTUALLY operated
within the city limits
The sales of lobster have started in well. Burn
ham s. Morrill, and Portland Packing Company
are getting S1.7O per pound, and the Wnslow
Packing Company Sl.65
ADVANCE IN PRICES.
Burnham & Morrill, have advanced the price on
Winslow corn has not yet been fixed. We were
unable to learn whether the price for Yarmouth
had been fixed, but last year 1t sold for 10, and
years Honey Drop has already been sold at
$1.25, this might indicate possible increase OF
the price. on the Yarmouth, which Is the Old
Thompson s. Hall have moi yet fixed the price ON
their Silver Lake brand but it will probably be
higher than last year, when i was sl:lo. huclen
chiefly to Philadelphia parties for corn to be put
under their own labels. The Red Brook Company,
vet wy sold DIDO out E. NJ Wilson Of Gorham win pack
about the usual quantity, say about 40 acres.
Sandy River Packing Company OF Farmington,
whose brand has had quite good reputation, ,ofer
their factory for sale.
IDLE FACTORIES.
particular thing to be noticed is, that while
there will be large increase of the pack of corn,
it will be done mostly by the larger packers.
There are still great many corn factories IN the
State lying idle, being almost altogether those
which were started by farmers merchants, and
others not familiar with the business, and not
having any brand of established reputation to
help sell the goods Whenever there is small
pack of corn as in 1885, it will sell on its merits,
but when there is over production, whether it be
stimulated by over buying on the part of the
dealers as it usually is, or arises from too much
competition on the part Of the packers as it some
times does, corn requires more than merit, and
must have brand of established reputation be-
hind it. fhs was pretty well tested in 1888 and
1884 when the old brands maintained their prices
and the comparatively unknown brands were sell
ing at from 20 to % per cent less than corn of
similar quality under the old brands.
MUSIC AND DRAMA.