The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-27
Canning Fruits and Vegetables.
monthly Rep. of the Dept. of Agri.

| lMonLnly rep. OF Tue OepI I. VI ASfl.
The Commissioner of Agriculture re-
Gently received inquiries, from parties
intending to establish canning factories
in this state, 'for information on that
subject. They desired to know what
kind of machinery was required, cost of
same, where it could be purchased and
such other facts as would enable them
to construct the factory. In obtaining
the information desired the following
letter was received from Hon. J. NJ.
Rusk, Secretary of Agriculture, and it
contains so much that is Interesting on
this subject that it is published here
with:
| u. S. DEPARTMENT OF Agriculture,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Apr. %, 'Ss.
Hon. A. P. Butler, Columbia. S. G.:
Sir-I have your letter of the 10th
inst, asking for publications on can
ming fruits. This department has issu-
ed no special publication on the subject
but brief notice of the industry was
printed in the annual report for 1878, at
page 5s2, but the departments supply
of this issue is exhausted. Presuming
that the informationis wanted to guide
in starting factory / append a few
5ttiili particulars; ia !rss;wwhieh may be seryiceable
to you.
The outfit required for canning pur-
poses is very simple, consisting of a
large wooden vat, in which water can
be rapidly made to boil by means of
steam. This vat is provided with
basket made of smallsiron rods, hung
by tackle to q crane This basket is
to hold the cans, and is so arranged
that it may be promptly lowered into
or raised from the water. The cans
are made on the place by expert tin
workers They have at the top circu-
lar opening to admit the fruit to be can
ned, which is provided with cover or
cap that may be soldered on quickly.
Whatever contrivance will facilitate
the pairing or otherwise prepare the
fruits, etc., are provided but large
share of this work is done by hand.
The cans are filled with fruit, shaken
down as solidly as possible, and then
file! up with weak syrup or other
fluid, which drives out all the air. The
next step is to boil the cans in water
for shorter or longer time. The iron
basket is filled with the cans, and low
cred into the water in the tank, where
tie boiling is continued for few min
utes or for several hours, more or less,
according to the kind under treatment
may Keep, requires to be "processed,"
as the boiling is called, for a given time,
how long appears to be the chief secret
of the business. In some cases the ar
ticles is processed the required time
and allowed to cool when it is finished.
In other cases, green corn for example,
the caps of the cans are provided with
vent hole, and with this left open
they are boiled for two hours. This is
general idea of the method, in which
there is variety.of detail. 1t is a trade
which must be learned, and cannot be
at once picked up. It would be haz-
ardous to engage in it on a large scale
without the assistance Of competent
and skillful foreman.
The processes for the different kinds
of fruits may be formulated as follows,
although different factories vary some
what in details:
Peaches and pears-After pairing and
coring, put amonst them sufficient SUI
gar to make them palatable for present
eating-about three or four pounds to
each bushel; let them stand awhile to
dissolve the sugar, not using any water;
then heat to a boil and continue the
boiling with care from twenty to thirty
minutes, or sufficiently long to heat
through, which expels the air.
Raspberries, blackberries, whortle-
berries, currants, ch erries and plums
need not be boiled over ten 70 fifteen
minutes, using sugar to make palata-
BILE in all cases, as it must be put in at
some time, and it helps to preserve the
fruit.
For strawberries put a half ponnd of
sugar for each pound Of fruit, and pro-
ceed as for other berries.
For tomatoes scald and peel them as
for cooking; then scald or rather boil
for about fifteen minutes only, and can
as above.
Large factories are proftably estab-
lished in many states, both east and
west. There is no difficulty in disposing
of the products, which enables the
transaction of large business on a
comparativly small capital. AS the
work is done in the summer, cheap
building is all that is necessary, and the
entire plant need not cost over $4,000:
| With the facilities that money would
provide the factory would give employ
ment to about one hundred women
aud girls. Cans cost about two cents
| each, and the labor, labels and boxing
is comparatively trifling. The profits
are sid TO range from twenty-five to
forty per cent. Respectfully.
J. NJ. RUsK,
Secretary.
What IS Home without Housekeeper."
is the degraded view taken by gruf.
old bachelor, of the holy office of wife