Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-10-07
CANNING FACTORIES.
THE MOST PRODUCTIVE COUNTY
INTHE UNITED STATES.
Great Farms That Raise Fruits and
Vegetables For the Canneries-
Corn From the Cob to tho
Can-PeelIng Machines.

" ming industry IN tne has'' anu
. probably more farmers pro-
duce is raised there directly for the fac
tories than in any other county in the
United States. The question Of finding
market for all of their surplus goods is
answered for them by the factories
where nearly everything grown on the
farm can be sold. The farms as a rule
consist of five, ten, and fifty acres, al
though there are some larger ones stu
ated further back; but small farms pre-
vail in numbers and proftableuess.
Corn, tomatoes, beans, apples, aspara-
gus, and similar products are raised on
these farms for the canning factories.
Every season the farmers make a new
agreement either to sell all of their pro-
ducts to the factories at so much per
ton or bushel, or take their chances of
marketing what they can in the cities,
aud selling the surplus at the factories
for whatever they can get. In some in
stances the factory people own the land
and lease it to farmers who sell all their
produce to them. Another method in
vogue is to hire farmers to run the farms
at so much a year, and the factory peo-
pie make what they can from the bar
gain; but generally this is an unsats-
factory arrangement. The first method
of contracting with the farmers for their
products meets with the most general
oval.
arming land is worth from $50 an
acre upwards, according to its location,
fertility and other conveniences; but
many of the owners have brought the
soil up to such high state of fertility
that S1OO, 5000 and $500 per acre could
not purchase it. Every acre is made to
Weld to lis utmost, aud instead Of scat
tering their labor over large fields, they
concentrate it upon small ones. Hun
dreds of carloads of manure are brought
there spring aud fall to fertilze the land,
and Canada sends quantities OF her un-
leached ashes down for the same pur-
pose.
About the 1st of September the can
ming concerns begin operations. Many
of these are owned by the lobster can
ming factory people on the coast, and it
is after the latter have closed that the
vegetable canneries begin. The season
extends them we'll up into the fall
months, ending only when frost has
killed late vegetables. A great many
people are then required to rush things
through, both on the farm and in the
factories. Vegetable gathering begins
while the schools are closed for the sum-
mer vacation, and many children and
women help in the work.
Wages at the canning factories vary.
On piece work good men make between
50 aud So per day, and women
from 81 to $3.50. Some Of the men
are paid by the day.
One factory handles on the average
seven and eight hundred bushels of
tomatoes a day, aud when the corn sea-
son presses heavily, the concern is capa.
BILE of turning out 24O0 bushels,
although the average is about the same
as that OF the tomatoes. One acre of
good corn yields generally from 1900 to
to 1900 cans of corn, which nets the far
mer between thirty aud forty dollars per
acre. A few exceptionally rich soils
produce more than this, aud one has
yielded as high as 22O0 cans, netting
the owner about $50 per acre. About
one hundred pounds Of corn, cut from
the cob and ready for boiling, fill
sixty cans.
The corn is brought in the husk to
the factory by the cart-load. AS soon
as it is husked it is cut of by patent
knives aud passes to the weigher, who
gives the exact weight to the farmer aud
to the head of the factory. The corn
has to be attended to as soon as it arrives,
for if allowed to stand any length of
time, it would heat and spoil. General
" the factory dislikes to handle corn
that has been hauled more than four
miles, or any that has not been fresh
picked. The purchaser for the factory
always examines it carefully before it is
given to the huskers.
When the corn is weighed, it is passed
through series Of spindles which
quickly take out all silk and cobs that
may remain. After this nearly every
thing is done by machinery. 1t is
passed into a hopper, and from this it is
poured into cans that rotate around in
frames. Another machine wipes the
cans dry aud shoves them along to have
a patent cap put on and soldered down
by men. A packer puts the cans in
rack, which carries three dozen at time
to the hot-water bath. In this the corn
is thoroughly heated, and then a hole is
made in each can to allow the steam and
hot air to escape. 1t is a critical moment
then, and the men who handle the cans
next must understand their business.
Just as soon as the steam is out, a drop
Of solder is put over the hole, aud the
cans are then ready for the final cook
ing.
A huge tank is arranged for this