The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-02-23
THURSDAY, Feb. 2:S, 1888.
SMALL INDUSTRIES.
Information About Canning
Factories.

1hC HOl-D LEAF mas StrenuOuSly
urged the importance of diversity of
industries as well as diversified agri-
culture, and it takes pleasure in pub
fishing the following to which it di-
reefs the careful and thoughtful atten-
ton OF our citizens, flrmcrs as well as
others. A canning factory is an en-
terprlsc that we believe would pay
well here; in fact, we have no doubt
number of such institutions estab-
llshcd throughout the county would
prove successful. We have a soil and
climate highly adapted to the growth
of fruits and vegetables, and with a
greater market demand of course this
industry would be more fully devel-
Oped and rich source of revenue thus
opened up for the farmers. In the
hope that the information contained
in the following article from the St.
Louis Journal Of Agriculture may
throw some light on the subject and
stimulate our people to action in the
matter of establishing canning facto-
ries, we make no. apologies for sur
rendering SO much of our editorial
space to the discussion of single
topic. The Journal of Agriculture
says:
In. the present generation, when the
needs Of the people, or at least the
wants, are SO much greater than for
merly, when a house built with logs,
furnished with homemade furniture,
homespun clothing and home grown
food are not good enough for us, it is
absolutely necessary that the interests
OF every part of the country should be
diversified. One hundred years ago
farmers wanted SO little that even if the
crops were comparative failure, or
prices were extremely low, it made
but little difference. They spun and
wove their own clothes from the backs
of their own sheep they got their sup
ply of sugar from the naples in the
woods; they made their own bread
and meat, and they wore moccasns
made of raw hide. They wanted lit
tie and had enough and were healthy
and happy.
Now we want many things it takes
money to get. We must pay heavy
taxes and spend money for thousand
things our fathers never even dreamed
of. So we must arrange our matters
SO that whether crops fail or not we
can always have something with which
to meet these necessities. 1t is necessary
then in order TO be sure of some in
come, TO arrange for some other source
of it than the regular staple crops that
have usually been grown. Any one
who has travelled much has noticed
that those sections are most prosper
Gus which depend for their income on
variety of crops. In this respect a
farming community is exactly like a
city or town. If that depends on any
one industry for its growth and pros
perity. whether it is manufacturing,
naming or agricultural interests, it will
often have pinching times.
In all human affairs failure is always
probable. So if one thing fails, it IS
we'll to have something else to fall back
on. This principle is universally re-
Cognized by the farmers in the northern
half of this country, bat it is ignored
in the southern half In the North
no farmer depends on just one or two
crops, except in some portions of the
northwest. Every farmer calculates
to make money out of his regular
crops of grain, such as corn, wheat,
oats, and barley then he has his po-
tatoes, his fruit, his poultry, milk and
butter, his cattle and hogs and prob
ably an occasional colt. Then in a
great many neighborhoods there are
canning establishments, jelly factories
and other things Of that kind which
make good market for vegetables and
fruits, all that can be grown.
1t is to this last subject that We
wish especially to cali the attention of
farmers. In cold sterile Maine there
are large number Of packing estab-