The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-04-27
CANNING FACTORIES,
THINGS ABOUT THE
COST OF THEM,
The Amount Of Stuff REQUIRED to
Supply Factory of 1000 Can Ca.
pacity Per Day---the Yield Per Acre
of Tomatoes, &c.

pdClly ItT DAY ---tHc leu fef acre
of Tomatoes, &c.
BALTIMORE, Md, April I, 1893.
Editor Manufacturers Record:
We have read with considerable in
terest your article on the canning in
dustry which appeared in the issue of
your journal March II. We can sub
stantiate FULLY your assertions on the
subject with the exception of your cal
culations on cost of labor and also
acreage required. We feel confident
that on those two points you have
made a miscalculation only, and a
matter which you will kindly allow us
to correct through the columns of your
valuable publication. You state that
the cost of labor for canning 1900
two pound cans is S25. You further
more say that taking this as basis,
that the cost of labor for one two pound
can would be six cents. You should
have said that the cost Of labor of one
can would be about three-hfths of one
cent. You also stated that fair crop
of tomatoes is 800 to 400 bushels per
acre, and that one bushel of tomatoes
will fill sixteen to twenty three pound
cans, which latter statement is un-
doubtedly correct, but you go further
and say it would take the product of
200 acres to supply a 4,ooocan ca
pacity (per day. factory one day, and
you also say that to operate this fac
tory twenty days would require the
product of 1000 acres. Now to arrive
at the proper acreage to supply this
capacity canning machine, we will say
that a bushel of tomatoes will fill
eighteen three-pound cans, and the
average yield of an acre planted in
tomatoes is $50 bushels. We find that
we can fill $500 three-pound cans
from the product Of one acre. Now
to supply this 4,ooocan capacity per
day factory for twenty days, say suth
cient raw material for $4,000 cans,
you can readily see that thirteen acres
will be sufficient, as the output of thir-
teen acres, calculating $500 cans to
the acre, would be $1,000 three pound
cans.
In reference to the cost and CapaC
tiles as mentioned in your article of
canning machinery you are correct.
The purchaser obtains with outfit
all the necessary Instructions for put
ting up and operating his own can
merry, he gets all the so-called secrets
of the business, and can in few days
become familiar with its workings.
This is unquestionably the most i'm
portant industry in operation to-day
in our State, particularly when con
sidering the immense force of work
men it employs.
The labor employed in the packing
trade is composed largely of women,
boys and girls. Heretofore the ma
chinery required for the business of
canning was held at such figures that
but few outside Of Maryland and some
other States could make the venture.
1t was also difficult to obtain the pro-
cesses of the various goods. No one
cared to give it away without a con-
sideration, and it was necessary, if one
did embark in the business, to obtain
man at large salary who under
stood the processing.
In no part of the country has this
industry brighter prospects than in the
South. At the present time the ques
ton is agisating the public mind, es-
pecially the investor, who, by his sharp
insight of the business world, can see
a greater margin on each can of fruit
or vegetables prepared in the South
over the same kind and class of goods
made ready for the market in the
North.
1t has been said and known to be
a fact, with an average crop the fruit
falls from the trees and the vegetables
that are allowed to decay within the
limits Of numbers of counties, would,
if canned, pay the taxes of these Coun-
ties. Think Of this enormous waste;
then picture to yourselves the extra
amount of money that would be saved
to these farmers if there were canning
factories in operation that would con-
sumo the surplus fruit and vegetables
that grow so abundant in their sec
tons. What has been true in former
years is liable to keep on for the next
half century, unless the hand of man
comes to the rescue. An investment
Of this kind pays large profits on the
capital, besides being benefit to the
city or county where these factories
are located. \. II. ROBINS & Co.