The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-20
THE PICKING BUSINESS
Some Valuable Hints With Regard TO
1t That Might be Utilized.


1t That Might be Utilized.
BALTIMORE. Feb. 17.-Editor Morling
Neios: My article last week in the MORN
ING NEWS on ths picking business has been
extensively copied. [ had no idea at the
time that so many were interested, and as
result my mail has brought forth numer-
Gus inquiries asking for information in
regard to the business. l will enter more
fully into details, and will try to give your
readers little more information than did
IN my last article regarding the canning
and picking business. l have Travelled south,
and 1t is surprising that one sees such
vast quantities of canned goods sold in the
south, and with but few exceptions they are
put up by northern packing houses, This
has been the case heretofore but now. with
the go-ahead spirit that the new south has.
1t demands charge A few years hence
one will see this industry thriving every
where In the southern states, and the
northern packers will have TO seek
other markets. Your farmers, more
especially your truckers, have been
satisfied with the large profits
realized on their early shipments-butv hen
the Virginia and Maryland product comes
IN 1t does not pay your truckers to make
further shi nents. Consequently thous-
and OF acreJ of prim- stock for canning pur-
poses have been allowed to waste for want
OF some me for utilizing it, The same
can be said of your fruits. Small guam
Titles are and some are SOL in a
home market, but the bulk Of the crop is
allowed to decay for want Of canning facili-
Ties. These vegetables and fruits YOU allow
10 waste could be put up in your market and
handsome profits realized, ut instead the
south depends on the north to supply her
with the very article she has thrown away.
In Maryland ana elsewhere farmers do not
enjoy the advantages enjoyed by the south
ern trucker. The southern farmer has been
well paid and his profits have been large for
the produce he has shipped to early markets
Consequently when the product in Mary
land comes In the prices are down
and we are compelled to sell in
| competition with the southern products.
The southern farmer, therefore, can
realize on his early shipments, and after 1t
does not pay to ship, the surplus can be
utilized Tor canning purposes In Mary
land we have thousand of farmers VINO
plant their crops for this purpose alone
they can their own crops, and some, per-
| haps, buy up those of their neighbors. At
the close of the season they have thousand
or two dollars to add to the profits of their
| farms Because tho southern trucker has
already realized profit it is no reason why
he should abandon his surplus. To can his
otA PAuo ~ hOuAu give 10 num-
bers of persons during the canning season.
Here in Maryland thousands depend on the
canning industry, putting up fruits, vege-
tables, oysters, fish, etc., which could be
done at greater profit in your section.
Labor Is cheap and plentiful, you enjoy the
advantages of good market Your oyster
beds are untouched, and you have an
abundance of vegetables, fruit, ETC. As
regards operating a canning factory the
| sOuthprO farm haua baar 11DJar the ~,
preston that it required large
capital, combined with long business
| experience, but they are now
beginning to realize that they can operate
their own canning and picking factory in
addition to their other duties. A farm
hand can learn tho process in one day as no
previous nowledge is necessary. | have
had numerous inquiries from persons wish
| Ing to start picking factory-some in a
large way, others in a small way. For
SO one eau start picking business that
| would keep several persons busy during
| the picking season. 1t would pay to COM
bine the canning business with that of
picking, as the same outfit can be used to
can fruit, VEGETABLES, oysters, and fish. An
outfit that will can 1000 3-pound cans per
| day will cost complete, only $3.50. 5000
| 3-pound cans per day will cost complete,
| 1925. The price of cans 3-pound So 40
2-pounds 81 80 per hundred For pickles
the bottles can be had very cheap. Pickles
can also be put up in barrels and kegs in
bulk, but put up in bottles nicely labeled
they meet with a ready sale ct paying
prices. Canning can be done by the most
inexperienced persons, with or without
steam power. If a farmer already
has steam power, he can
utilize it, if not the kettles
can be set in brick the same as sugar boil
ers. The picking business could be done
| on small scale by the women folks, from
whom numbers of letters have been re-
ceived by me, and in this way can earn
something for themselves. The canning and
picking business is a clean profitable one,
there is nothing disagreeable about it. 1t
| is surprising that SO little attention has
been paid to the business. I will take
great pleasure in giving all information I
can to your readers, but would recommend
them to write Messrs A. K. Robins 81 Co, ,
724 E. Pratt street, Baltimore, Nd, who
will supply them with any desired lnforma-
| ton in reference to the GINNING and pick
ling business. They are the largest ship
pers of canning outfits in the trade, and are
we'll known in Maryland.
j. R CALHOUN