The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-17
PROFITS OF CANNING
a Business That Ought to Command
Very General Attention

a O0SlnSSS AHd0 Ousnt TO Command
Very General Attention.
Editor Morning NeloS: Some few of
your readers do not seem TO fully
comprehend my statement, as recently
appeared in the columns Of the News. ON
the profits OF the canning business. and are
under the impression that tomatoes are
about the only article that can be packed TO
advantage, and to undertake the hacking of
the various fruits and vegetables it wonld
require sp ecial machinery for each article
they packed
They also ask 20 be enlightened upon the
subject OF quotations., cost of skilled prcc-
eSsors, ETC.. In my recent letter on the
profits of canning, tomatoes were taken as
an example. We al know tomatoes are a
staple article Of food, and are in constant
demand. For this reason, a market can al
ways be had at paying prices, but we also
have other articles of food in tin. equally
IN as large demand, and of which the south
raises large quantities.
herewith name the various fruits and
vegetables that it will pay TO pack with
present quotations:
Fruits-Peaches, 3-fb cans, 50 and 81 %
per dozen; pears, 3-tb. cans, 81 so and 81
per dozen; apples, 3-1b. cans, IS cents and 81
per dozen; ounces, 3 cans, 81 40 and 81 so
per dozen; blsckberries, 2-fb. cans. so cents
and 20 cents per dozen; goosebsrries, 2-fb.
cans, W cents and 20 cents per dozen; blue
berries, 2-tb. cans, so cents and 90 cents ner
dozen; whnrtleberries, 2-fb. cans, 20 cents
and so cents per dozen.
egetables-Asparagus 3-fb. cans. So 80
and IS per dozen; olxra, s. cans, 81 25
and 81 40 per dozen; okra and tomatoes.
2-fb cans. 80 cents and 81 per dozen: okra
and tomatoes, 3-ib. cans. 81 Is and 81 rs per
dozen; peas, 2-1b. cans, 81 20 and 50 25 per
dozen; pumpkin. 3.ib cans, 95 cents and 81
per dozen; tomatoes 81 ID. cans, S21$ cents
and 81 per dozen; tomatoes, 3-tb. cans, 6215
cents and 20 cents per dozen; beans Qima).
? fb. cans, 81 10 and 81 s5 per dozen; bsans
(string), 2-fb. cans, 81 and 81 80 per dozen.
Oysters and CLANS very scarce)-l-ib.
cans, 81 10 per dozen; 3 tb. cans, SO per
DOZEN
From the above one can readily see that
tomatoes are not the only article that good
profits can be realized upon. One bushel of
peaches will fill twenty 3-fb. cans, and are
worth 81 so per case of two dozen, or about
81 per bushel
Figure up the profit ia packing 1000 8 tb.
cans Of peaches per day. at so cents per
bushel paid for peaches, what better profits
are to be asked for on other fruits and vege-
tables?
Packers clear from l to 8 cents per
can on the various fruits and vegetables.
IhlS includes the buying of raw material,
Tor which they ere sometimes to pay large
prices This is where the farmer has the
advantage. He raises his own produce;
consequently he is the man best adapted for
carrying on the business. Lucky is the
man who has good fruit crop this year.
He will make money. The entire crop of
Maryland and Virginia is absolutely killed,
and no fruit-especially peaches-wiu be
packed this season. Sweet potatoes and
pumpkins will be packed largely to help to
supply the demand for the army of ''pie-
eaters" Squash will also be packed, and
will pay well. The canning industry is no
experiment; it is an established business,
and, If properly conducted, will bring in
very handsome returns on small invest
ment.
Canning outfits are adapted to canning
all the various fruits aud vegetables; also
fish, oysters, she'll fish, meats, etc., no extra
or special machinery being absolutely re-
qulred. Some packers use special ma
chinery in order to facilitate matters, but
the maj ority do not. Manufacturers of
canning machinery supply skilled process
sors to their customers when wanted at
81 80 per day. But the art of processing
amounts to no more than boiling an egg
certain number of minutes, and can be un-
derstood and carried out by any
one of ordinary intelligence Let each
one who embarks in the business
do SO with the intention of making it pay.
also let the main object of the packers be.
how nice he cao make his goods, not how
many he can pack. The canning business
is new one for the south, and when
thoroughly established will add very ma
teriallv to her advancement, and in these
small factories rather than in her mineral
wealth, will the future of the south depend.
j. r. CALHOUN.
Baltimore, Nd, March IA, 1890.