The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-04-17
THE CANNING INDUSTRY.
Some Interesting Particulars From
One Who Understands the Subject.
Wilmington Messenger.l

Wilmington Messenger.
BALTIMORE, April 4.-As my ar
ticle in the Messenger on the canning
industry has awakened such interest,
and your people solicit further informa-
tien, l shall endeavor to be more ex-
plicit and give figures. l herewith
submit estimate Of cost of outfit and
the necessary articles of machinery for
canning, viz: l scalding kettle, eX-
haust kettle, process kettle, 2 fire
pots, l crane fixture, furnace doors,
3 sets crate bars, or if operated by
steam 2 coils instead Of bars and
doors, 3 soldering or Gaping machines,
Gaping coppers, 2 tipping coppers, 2
scalding baskets, l forging handle, l
forging stake, forging hammer, wise,
2 files, pair can tongs each, process
and exhaust cages.
This outfit can be purchased in Bal
timore for $50. The purchaser can,
by instructions sent with the outfit,
put up and operate it without the aid
Of skilled help. 1t would require fif-
teen hands to successfully operate it as
follows: One professor, one capper,
one Upper, twelve peelers and packers.
The latter could be done by women,
boys and girls. In Maryland process
ors, cappers and tippers receive from
50 to $3.50 per day, peelers and pack
ers. 81 per day, but often farmers do
their own processing which could be
done in this case. Thus the farmer
could supervise over the capper and
Upper. This labor being simple it
could be had for 81 per day. Thus the
labor necessary for packing the above
number of cans would consist of
One professor GARNER himself $3.50
One caper and Upper at $l.00
each, 200
About twelve hands, peelers and
packers, 600
$1O.5O
We will now figure the cost of raw
material. Cans, cases, labels, &C., re-
quired for packing 1000 three pound
cans per day. Tomatoes will be taken
for example. One hundred bushels
will be required to fill these 1900 three
pound cans. Thus we have
100 bushels of tomatoes at 20 cts.
per bushel, $4,000
1900 cans, $500
Labor (in packing), 1850
Labels, solder, &C., 400
Cases containing twenty-four
cans), 1892
$S7. 40
1907 ,c - Il
1900 three pound cans per day Qabor
| and materiaD. This includes pay for the
farmer at $3.50 per day, also $4,000 is
| included for his raw material. We
now market 1900 cans consisting of
| eighty-three cases and receive 81 .65
per case, the present market price.
Thus we have $13G.95 or profit of
s49.53, pretty good showing for one
days work. Where one has wood and
coal to buy it would reduce these fig
ures, but a profit of $40 per day can be
counted on, even where one has to fur
nish all the labor and buy his raw ma
terial, wood and coal. [ would advise
the farmer to plant his own crop and
not depend entirely ON his neighhors
for his canning supply. He can then
realize profit on his product in two
ways. I would not advise farmers to
pack corn-the labor and expense at
tached to packing this article is so
much that they could not compete with
Western packers. 1t requires expen-
sive machinery for silking and remov-
ing the corn from the cob and as they
have every facility and pack nothing
else to any extent there would not be
as much money in it as there would be
in utilizing the same acreage for to-
matoes or other vegetables. Now. we
will take the profits on one acre of to-
matoes grown for canning purposes.
In the first place the plant can be put
out after all danger of frost is passed
the farmer can now obtain seed that
will yield him from 300 to 700 bushels
per acre, for an average. We will say
45O bushels; he disposes of his product
either by packing it in cans himself or
selling to his neighbor at 90 cents per
bushel, then he realizes $4,000 per acre,
runs no risk from early planting and he
is sure of getting his money. Quite
different from the present mode of dis
posing of his produce. Sometimes he
does and again he don't but, more often
finds himself in debt. Even so-he
can ship as long as he can find it profit
able, then when it does not pay to ship
the surplus can be packed. As to the
capital one has to have, in order to un-
dertake the canning business, | will
say that the cost is in the cans. not the
outfit. We will figure the amount nee
essary for one to have.
Cost of outfit. $4,000
Freight (abouD 800
Brick work. &C., 5000
25 900 labels to start. $500
s253.O0