The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-22
OUTLOOK IN CANNED GOODS.
CONDITIONS WHICH HAVE CAUSED A
DEPRESSION IN THE TRADE.

SIOWyuO III NeS nv
tabiisAment Of New Csnneries-EGecs Of
the Trn. Plate Agreement Condition Of the
N~arket-Foreign Demand for Canned Goods.
Canning and canned goods have engaged
the attention OF persons interested In the gen.
era grocery trade and In some other lines
OF business and manufacturing lately. and
local conditions have given rise to various
IDEAS as tn the immediate future OF the can
neries and the disposition OF their output.
There has been a steady growth oil the canning
industry and the business Of dealing In canned
goods in recent years. Nevertheless the busi-
ness generally is just now in a most depressed
condition. One man whose Gaining II Is To
keep track OF the fluctuations IN the industry
and the business generally throughout the
year said in answer 10 "a reporters question
that the business had not been In thirty years
In such bad condition as II has been since the
opening OF this year. Yet people are constantly
looking for opportunities 10 start new canning
factories.
The explanation is comparatively brief.
Canned fruits and vegetables fnd general
favor AT home, and the consumption Increases
with the growth Of population Abroad inc
demand has been growing rapidly oil late.
New markets nave been opened IN Asia ana
In island countries. and European peoples
particularly the English. have been taxing
more and more OF American canned products.
Profitable canneries in different places nave
stimulated watchful persons with a niue capt.
tai TO invest to start other canneries' Manu-
facturers OF machinery who have been forced
to push their products have urged farmers
and others to erect canneries so as 10 anord
more business for them. Large crops OF iruits
or vegetables, crops so large that the Farmers
have seen OF a glance that they would not be
able to find a market for them fresh. nave led
the growers TO endeavor to interest capitai
In new canning enterprises in order that thelr
surplus crops might be- canned or dried, New
Jerseys peach crop this year is SO great that
the Jerseymen are striving hard to get some
one TO build a factory where the surplus may
be canned or dried.
On the other hand. the establishment OF
new factories in various parts OF the country.
and the competition which OF necessity springs
up among them. tends not only 10 overslock
the market and so force prices down, but 10
injurr the fields OF already established factories
BY reducing them. and SO brings me general
business 10 an Improbable CONDITION TO
the present depressed condition of the sales
market extrsneous conditions have also con.
uibuted The American Grocer IN ITS current
Issue. after remarking thai there Is a "iHr
Va bhAAAN 49, IL
canned goods market, In when cohuitonS
vary more than usual. says.
-fhe increased cost OF tin plate, boxes. labels
and labor IL a factor with which packers have
u contend, and which may be more uouOIt'-
some than usual on account OF the arbitrary
holding up Of the price OF TN plate unul next
October.
A wear ago. dealers say. the market wus sold
out a month before this, Whereas tins year
futures can't NJ sold and cid, stocks pui, np ~
the hi1h prices of last yenr, and are ceiling for less
thar traab goods gln he bDllA NJ lDT, tltlt Eptt-
chant said that about the only thing that wa
| moving was peas, and that that was owing 70
| drought and the pea louise; There is u demand
from the South for a cheap grade OF peas.
| canned, but jobbcrs In general are 10th to buy
and will not urge retailers TO buy c'nneG ec,Hs
now, b-cauS. they believe that II the f1u the
market will be demoralized. The .lucrr9h
| Grocsr saws of the tin-plafe agreement Inc
| possible result may BIZ to causa q WIDER nreah ~
| rrices when the inevitable reaction comes, andto
| cemorallyc the market late In the ilu, more
| thar If there had been no ~agreeunent.
This applies particularly To veGetaolcs. iot
large packing Of fruits will come upon \ market
| practically bpre Of stock, and. with prices ai'
| ~tractlva, sales should be brisk and In large vol
ume. both for home and foreign account, some
large operators look forward 10 a brisk general
demand in the fall, and q rising market
Tho paper considers the general situation
under the FL heading O The outlook 'Or canned
The reluctance Of Eastern jobbers to buy
| hea vIly for future delivery will undoubtedly r-
| duce the supply OF some staple vegetables, NOT
| ably corn and tomatoes. Some New lorh
| State packers think the output OF corn VIII or
that account, hn reduced ons-third. On The
sother hand, the Western and Maine packer
have sold corn quite freely on contract and arr
likely 10 rcnort n full average output. y
present the outlook IL for a light pack al carlN
June peas In MARYLAND and n reduced packing
Of tomatoes AT all points on account Of ne.
paratively liGht sales FOR forward delivery
Probably any reduction on that account VIII ~
more than Offset the output Of new factories. ',
"iThe fruit cror promises 10 be- unusually
heavy. with prospects GOOD for = large ontpu'
of canned fruits AZ prices much. below those
row ruling. The peach crop "a heavy, on Va
Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and already Sale
OF No. 3 seconds have beer made In Mar lanf
ct os cents per dozen u price 81 which 'ai,r
fornia peachcS Of like grade could not be solt
east Of the Missouri. No, 3 standards .ar'
offered at 81 Is to 81 20 or As TO 81 cents below
spot nuo,1t!ons. Apricots are likely 10 Ia "
full srnply M lower figures" 49,,
Dealing with the export market the arlcl,
says. I'm 1899 there were 500 IA CAGES of Call
fornia fruits oxpor.ed 20 the United Kingdom
erains. 3o5 aoS cnses IN 1898. and curing IN
first four months ~ 1900. $50 Ss cases aG1ins
AS 24 cases for the corresponding time th'
prpvions rear,
'"Soma large operators. the pane- concludes
claim that the country IL nrosperous:. tha
tho general supply Of canned goods VIII no
30 EXCESSIVE while requirements VIII be large
that tho iobbers. not having been a Stree buyer
as usual Will he forced 70 seek supplies, ant
this will make the last four months OF the yea
a period OF great activity"