Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-28

and boxing and other expenses. This
is figuring cranberries at low price
When the green berries cost more the
profit will be greater as the cost of can
ming will not be increased and the sugar
and water go in at the increased price.
At $1,000 for 100 lbs. the profit would be
value of the canned fruit at 10 cts. ID.
5000,
Cost of 100 lbs. berries $1,000
. sugar 4.50
81" water 600
S14.5O
leaving profit of $325 less $14.5O
which leaves ST 80 out of which to take
the same expenses.
| told you there was millions in it,
have I not proved it both to the grower
and the canning company? To the
grower we save his berries and insure a
| ready cash market no matter how large
the crop. If put on the market at the
price of the green fruit, [ would agree
to go on the read and sell 100000 cans
the first year or forfeit my salary. |
know they will sell like hot cakes, and
in 10000 places where none are sold
now, and they could be shipped to the
ends of the earth if necessary, but if
canned in good shape the United States
area over which the cranberry can be
grown is less than any other kind of
fruit. The proportion of that area
which Will produce them with profit is
very small, much less than is generally
supposed. The Would-be grower finds
this out often to his sorrow. This makes
the canning of this fruit easy to regu-
late Only very few canning factories
for this purpose will ever be needed,
and if the factories and the growers
will pull together as they should, there
is millions in it for both [ should favor
the location of such a factory at some
central point in the vicinity Of the
marshes, where neither party could
have chance to play hog on the other,
and where they would be more likely to
pull together. At the Junction of the
two r. Rs at Centralia or Grand
Rapids, at Babcock, Necedah, or Valley
Junction. I am not blowing the bugle
for any place, but let it be near the
growers where they can be shipped in
from the marshes and the barrels or
crates can be returned to the growers
and be refilled, which of itself is quite
a saving. All railroads west of Chicago
return empty beer kegs and barrels at J
of 4th class rates in small quantities.
This is saving we would get. If the
berries are canned for Chicago or Mil
waukee or other parties, special arrange
ment might be made to have them
canned in transit, the same as wheat is
billed at some station in Dakota direct
to New York. When it gets to Mime
apolis it is unloaded and ground into
flour and is sent on to New York under
the original billing; this saves paying
local frieghts-tricks in all trades but
ours
As nearly all the work in the factory
! is light, a large portion of the labor can
be done by women and children. In
all the canning factories | was ever in, a
large part of the help was women and
children, and anything we can do to aid
this class of people should be done,
The lumber for boxing is here, fuel is
cheap, pure water is plenty, help of
this kind can live here cheaply. Gran
berries will be here in the near future
so plenty that the old croakers will no
longer repeat, parrot-like, that we had
more cranberries before We had any
| improvements Some think a canning
factory will not pay because it would be
idle so much of the year. Let me ask
you, would your marsh be more profit
| picking from September to December?
1t would not be standing idle so long,
you answer, ITO, and get all the help you
can and secure them before they spoil
So with the canning factory. No berry
should be canned before Sept. 10th, and
none after Dec. 18th. No grower can
afford to hold his berries even that late,
and the factory can work to better adj
vantage before extreme cold weather
with its short days, comes. One thing
should be distinctly understood to start
with, that,
1st. Berries should be bought by the
pound, and everybody's berries be
emptied out soon as received.
2nd. Not an unsound berry should be
received, or ever canned under the
brand of Excelsior"
Sd. A sorting room should be pro.
vided where all berries not up to grade
should be re-sorted at the growers ex'
pense, or returned to the grower.
9TH On the top of the can where il
would be opened, should be a label
reading. 'EAll canned fruits, of every
kind, should be removed from the car
as soon as the cani is opened, and placed
in glass or porcelain pan or dish. The
contents of this can will keep in good
order after being exposed to the all
under ordinary circumstances - there
state the time, which, in the case of the