The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-28
PRESERVING FOOD IN CANS.
Vast Proportions Of the Industry-lhe
Housekeeper's Boon

An industry in this country which mas
| grown TO enormous proportions is that OF
preserving food products 10y canning ana
ho,tling. In 1907 NJ. Appert, dlstIil'
! cuisbnl French chemist. found that or
| garlic substances remained fresh an in
| definite time BY heinz kept from contact
with the air. Comparatively little Use
| was made OF this invention tor many
years. except 10y sailors About the year
| lS3j. however, a small local trade sprang
IN in this country III canned oysters and
tomatoes The discovery OF gold in Cal
ilorna gave an impetus 10 the trade.
but the first great expansion OF 1t was
Gurinc the civil war Since that time
the canned goods trade has advanced by
/ Leap and bounds until at present there Is
n cipltal of $ll.00O. 900 invested here IN
fruit and vegetable canning alone, CAV
ing employment to $1,000 persons. who
earn yearly $4,000. 900, and turn out OF
coo,s go. 600, 600, leaving net profit OF
about % per cent 10 tine investors.
During the war advantage was taken
rs the Union commissariat department
Of the economy in bulk and the ease in
transportation Of canned goods. Canned
meat was found useful for ration5 m
| forced marches; canned milk was val
liable substitute for fre5h milk IN the
| tospi,ai, when the latter could not be
Lad. and the health OF the army was
| largely maintained by canned fruit and
! Vegetables.
At the end Of the war those engaged
! 81 the manufacture Of these goods turned
their attention to supplying the European
| markets with salmon and lobster. The
l1bs.er cxpor, trade had started ten years
| urcyiou-y in the New England states.
! Soon after the Canadians began tine sal
| nion packing industry, bat did not meet
! with succcss. But the utilization Of the
| enormous run Of salmon up the Columbia
and other rivers on the Pacific coast put
new life into the industry. Some idea of
| how much thc 'rade ilas grown may be
| gathered from the fact that while IN
1856 the pack Of salmon was only 1000
cases, during lle past iour years il has
averaged $500 900.
The next great era IN the trade was
| the compression of corued beef. Chi
/ cago. being "a great cattle center. a. once
! embarked heavily ~ tbs enterprise.
| Foreign governments largely recognized
] the value Of this system of pre,crV ng
beef They ordered large quantities OF
it for consumption by their war forces.
| Much o! this was stored a reserve IN
Csc of war; but as the supply was OK
haustcd it has been continually renewed,
| to the profit of the American.
The Success Of the Americans in can
ming goods provoked the English and
French people TO emulation. Unable to
comnete with the United States IN what
had been already done. they turned their
attention to the canning OF deicacl'5
! This trade was developed to a very large
extent in Europe. and extended f. this
country. But the importation OF these
goods has fallen OF pA1 eccHi years. as
this country las gone into tho mauniac-
tire Of this class OF goods, and produces
| a-much cheaper article, not AZ all inferior
TO the imported
The development Of the canned goods
| industry has been great. hut the variety
| OF articles treated IN this way las hccn
even greater. Bcgiunin- q, it did with
| ships beef, il has cXtendod until % en-
braces nearly all the desirable products Of
the animal and vegetable kingdom
Lieut.. Greedy. after his famous arctic
expedition. sanl that GAINED apples
| peaches. pears rhubarh. greer peas,
green corn, onions, poiato~ and tomatoes
were all subjected TO the temperature OF
60 dogs. below zero. They were solid for
many months at time, the second sum
mcr they thawed. and the following
winter they were frozen solid again.
! when these articles were eaten they pre-
sented the same appearance as though
freshly canned. and their flavor vas as
good when the last can was opened rs
| during the first month.
Canned goods have proved a great boon
to the housekeeper In cities. nc any
rate. the goods preserved are cheaper
than if bought m the fresh condition
| This arises from the fact tlat thcT are
always packed where the material Is
cheapest and most abundant. \ great
| economy j. exercised. too, by the whole
| sale preparation of meat and fish.
The popular idea that canned goods
are injurious to health is mistake. Tin,
which forms the coating OF tie thin iron
plates OF which the cans are made. Is not
acted on at all by any ordinary acids or
by the gases of decomposition. Certain
firms in this city have followed up every
case Of alleged poisoning from canned
goods without finding a single one OF
them authentic The ordinary Precau-
tons OF taste and smell as applied to
fresh goods are sufficient protection
against danger in similar goods when
canned. and Judging 10y the progress OF
the past decade in this method OF food
preservation. it seems likely to have a
still larger future before it.--New YORK
Sun.
| The Manufacture Of Clutches.