The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-04-12
~~HNE-FHT
CANNING IN THE SOUTH.
SOME VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS ASTO HOW TO PUT
THEM IN OPERATION.
rContinued from last week.
THEM IN OPERATION.


Under the existing circumstan-
ces, it is generally better to organ
ganize companies in the South for
the establishment of canning FAC
tories than for individuals to at
tempt to conduct such enterprises
depending on their own financial
resources. Too many o. the latter
class of canning factories have fail
ed. even when advantageously sit
uated, OWING to the too limited
capital Of the proprietors. In a
number of instances parties have
exhausted their entire capital IN the
purchase of a plant. Being forced
to seek credit at ruinous rates, to
obtain the money with which to
meet the running expenses, they
have found the way a rocky one
and, too frequently for the gool OF
the industry in this section, have
been forced to the wall. A SINH
lar financial fate would have been
theirs in any other industry. Can
ming factories are no exceptions
to the we'll established rules OF
business. Deviation from correct
principles invites disaster. No en-.
terprise can expect to succeed
which is worked on borrowed cap
ital with the rate of interest at 8
10 or even Y per cent.
The cost of plant and building
is nothing but basis on which to
calculate amount of capital requir-
ed. While a suitable structure
may be built and machinery
with capacity desired, may be
bought and placed in po-
sition for 81, 900, there are several
items of continuous expenditure
that must be carefully considered,
Even for a small pack the cost of
cans will run we'll up into the hun
dreds of dollars. The difference
between cash and time'payments is
considerable. Labor must be paid
regularly if satisfactory service Is
desired. The average number Of
persons to be employed must be
rtained and the weekly pay
roll determined for the entire sea-
son, the duration of which will de-
pend upon the products canned
and, to some extent, the
situation of the factory. On
the coast, for instance, the season
for oysters, etc, is placed at five
months. SO far no Southern fac
tory Of dis class has been able to
can vegetables or fruits in such
quantities. or such prices, as to
justify canning them only as expert
mentS. In the interior, some fac
tories are enabled to obtain a suffl-
cient supply of vegetables and
fruits to run them for four or five
months, the number of employees,
of course, being largest at the
height Of the season, or during a
period of about six or eight weeks.
1t is well tor the beginner to be
liberal IN such estimates. The
professors salary, being usually a
matter of special contract for the
season, is a known quanti-
ty. With his assistance, and a
knowledge of the supply of raw
stock that can be depended upon,
1t will be a comparatively easy mat
ter to figure out this important
item of expense.
i he cost OF vegetables and fruits
consumed is another item that will
reach large proportions during the
a packing season. The great in
ducement held out to farmers in
the South to raise supplies for can.
nlng factories is that these are
cash crops and that TIE money,
coming inata tine in the year when
they are usually sorely pressed
will greatly relieve them. If q
regular supply of n aterial to pack
is desired cash payments must be
made, otherwise growers are apt to
reach the conclusion that it does
not pay them TO give up their land
to this purpose. In this connec.
ton it may be remarked that, ir
the present state of agriculture ir
the South, it is essential that ar
rangements be made TO an AIDE
quate supply before canning fac
tory is established. A number
have been forced to close down, a
least temporarily, through failure
to obtain the needed stock to worl
up. Contracts should be made t
this end and their terms rigid,
4