The evening times., 1899-11-22
THE PICKLE INDUSTRY.

A shortage On Cucumbers Causes
Higher Prices.
BALTIMORE, Nd. Nov 22.-The price Of
barrel. Mixed sizes Of cucumbers sold to
the pickler as low as 10 cents a hundred in
1897. In 1898, a fairly normal year, the
price averaged about Is cents. This year
the price is from 20 to 25 cents hundred.
The cause of the increase in price is the
shortage of the crop, due to urfavorable
weather. When cucumbers needed rain last
summer the sun shone. and when dry soil
was needed the rain came in such torrents
that many of the vines were washed out
and the crop OF the remaining vines half
ruined. The shortage is said TO be from
40 to 60 per cent of an average crop.
The effect of this is already being felt by
the retail market. not in price, but in a
market decrease in the size and quality OF
goods obtained at a certain price this year
as compared with the goods for the same
price in other years. Cucumbers are
bought from the grower in mixed sizes The
pickler Classics them. according to size, as
large. medium or ''gherkins-" The last is
rarely over two inches in length. 1t is the
kind SO popular in the oyster restaurants.
In fact, 1t is often called '-oyster size" The
large pickles are four inches or over In
length. Another class of pickles. a kind
which many picklers will not handle. is
called ''nubbins.'' These are Of medium
size usually, but are crooked and often not
firm. 1t is this pickle that school children
commonly buy. because -nubbins" are
cheap. selling at two or more for cent.
1t is an interesting fact that the dainty
little pickles hardly an inch and half in
length, seen go often in Western cities. are
rarely to be had in Baltimore except from
Western fmportations. On the other band,
the large pickle. three four, or five inches
long, is almost unknown In the West. but
is very common in Baltimore. This is ex-
planned by the fact that Baltimore picklers
buy cucumoers by count. quoting them at
so much a hundred. whereas in the West
the bushel Is the invariable measure. In
each case the buyer gets the most for his
, money.
There are three stages in the conversion
of cucumbers into pickles. First. the raw
cucumber Is put into a very strong brine
of salt and water. Attempts 10 improve
upon this simple brine have always ended
disastrously. In this they remain usually
about eight or nine weeks. although II
does them no harm 10 remain longer. and
they can be kept here for several years il
the prime Is renewed al intervals OF TOUR OF
five months. Next the briny cucumbers
are soaked in water for about a week.
After that Genes the finishing stage. when
the pickle maker shows himself a bungler
or p true artist solution OF spices in
vinegar is prepared. The relative proper
tions CT the spices, the kinds OF spices usel !,
and the length OF time needed for impart-
ing just the right flavor to the pickles re-
auire fer their determination the best skill
of the maker. Herein lies the difference
in quality between two brands.
The growth Of the Industry has been
very marked. Twenty five years ago nearly
all Of the pickles used were made at home,
and only a small fraction of tine present
amount was used. Now large plants. en-
piOying scores OF men. are found devoted
| to this single industry. With the improve
ment in quality, the demand for pickles
has increased Baltimore is said 10 have
had the first pickle factory in the United
States. 1t started on a small scale in 1887
and is still in existence In the original
factory hogsheads, holding perhaps $50
gallons were sufficient. Now the factory
uses tanks holding from 500 10 5000 gal
Ions.
Most of the cueumbers put up in Balti-
more are raised in Maryland and Virginia.
although large quantity comes each year
from Ohio and Illinois. McIienry county,
Illinois is said tC raise more cueumbers to
The square foot than any other place in
the world. Carload after carload is sent
away from that county every season.
Fredericksburg Va, and Worcester, Ohio,
are also great cucumber shipping centres