Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-02
CANNING FACTORIES.
glimpse AT THE GREAT FARMS
{ THAT RAISE VEGETABLES.

N4folk county in this state is the center
Of TIE canning industry in the east, and
probably more farmers produce is raised
here directly for the factories than In any
other county in the United States. 1t has
a fertile soil, genial climate and a pro-
gressive class of farmers, and If they have
not solved the problem of big profits in
farming they have at least discovered the
way to make their farms give them good
living. 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, although there are some larger
ones situated farther back: but small
farms prevail in numbers and profitable
ness.
Corn, tomatoes, beans, apples, aspara-
gus and similar products are raised on
these farms for the canning factories.
Every season the farmers make new
agreement either to sell all of their pro
duce to the factories at so much per ton or
bushel, or take their chances of marketing
what they can in the cities and selling the
surplus at the factories for whatever they
can get. In some few instances the factory
people own the land and lease it to farm
ers who sell all their produce to them.
Another method in vogue j. h hire farm
ers to run the farms at so much a year.
and the factory people make what they
can from the bargain.
About the lst of September the canning
concerns begin operations Many of these
are owned by the lobster canning factory
people on the coast, and il is after the lat
ter have closed that the vegetable can
well up into the fan months, ending only
when frost has killed late vegetables. 4
great many people are then required to
rush things through, both on the farm and
III the factories. Vegetable gathering be-
gins while the schools are closed for the
summer vacation, and many children and
women help in the work Ia the cranberry
district OF Cape Cod thavacation Is changed
so that children can work at the boys to
make little money, and it i very prob
able that the summer vacation here would
be changed II the vegetables did not rinen
at the proper time
One factory handles on the average 200
to SEQ bushels Of tomatoes q day. and when
the corn season presses heavily the con-
Germ is capable Of turning out 2.40O bush
els, although The average is about the
same rs that OF the tomatoes. One acre of
good corn yields generally from 1000 to
1900 cans of corn, which nets the farmer
between thirty and forty dollars per acre.
few exceptionally rich soils produce more
than this, and one has welded rs high rs
1900 cans. tboIt 100 pounds of corn. cut
from the cob and ready for boiling. fill
sixty cans
The corn is brought in the musk to the
factory by the CARLOAD. Is soon as it is
husked it Is cut of by patent knives and
passed to the weigher, who gives the exact
weight to the farmer and 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 Generally the factory dislikes
to handle corn that has been hauled more
than four miles. or any that has not been
fresh picked. Tie purchaser for the fac
tory 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 everything is done by
machinery. II Is passed into hopper. and
from this It IS poured into cans that rotate
around in frames. Another machine wines
the cans dry and shoves them along to
have patent cap put on and soldered
down by men. \ packer puts the cans in
rack, which carries three dozen at a 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 drop of solder
is put over the hole. and the cans are then
ready for the final cooking.
A huge tank is arranged for this cook
ing, end 1t is done entirely by steam. Each
factory has its time limit for cooking the
corn, and 1t is a trade secret that few care
to divulge. The whole success of the proc
ess depends upon the amount of cooking
and the pressure of the steam Mt this point
When they are properly cooked the cans
are turned over to the labelers and pack
ers, who prepare them for market.
Other vegetables receive similar treat
ment. The tomatoes are first scalded, and
then carried to long benches where women
rapidly take the peels of, after which they
pass through the same process as the corn.
Squashes are peeled entirely by machine.
and the seeds taken out and the meat cut
INTO slices by machine before being boiled
ana crowded into cans PAIRING machines
are spinning around all the time. taking
the peel off apples, pears and ounces. In
TACT, after they are prepared for the cans,
all fruit and vegetables are treated about
the same, with the exception of a change
IN the time of cooking and the amount of
sugar added to them.
The output of one OF these factories aver
ages about 10000 2pound cans of corn.
the same amount of tomatoes and suuashes.
2oCOo cans Of apples and the same of
ounces, 5000 cans of pears and $4,000 cans
OF beans. This means altogether between
100000 and 500, 600 cans of fruits and veg
etables Most of these cans are the 2-pound
ones. but few are gallon cans. An idea
OF the canning industry in the United
States may be gathered from these figures
when 1t is stated that there are more than
1000 canning concerns i'll the country. The
output of many of them is much less, but
q good majority average the highest fig
ures. The profits of the business for the
factories appear to be satisfactory, for
there IS generally sale for all their canned