The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-06-05
THE CANNING INDUSTRY.

Browns report of the last quarterly
meeting recently published in The
Progressive Farmer. In fact, not
only Rowan Alliancemen, but Ali
ancemen everywhere, and not only
! Alliancemen, but the most intelli-
gent farmers throughout the State,
and especially our Eastern truckers,
are interested in the canning indus
try. This seasons excellent fruit
crop makes the subject of more than
ordinary interest. Some valuable
suggestions are contributed to the
June Southern Farm Magazine by
Mr.. S. M. Sindall, of Baltimore-so
valuable that we publish his entire
letter herewith and commend it to
our readers:
The eating of good, sound canned
fruits and vegetables at the seasons
when these articles cannot be OBJ
tained in their so-caIled fresh state,
instead of 50 much meat and other
forms of gross food, is attended by
nothing but the most beneficial re-
suits. The people recognize this
fact, and they put this convictions
into practice, as is shown by the fact
that the consumption of this class of
diet has doubled during the past
decade. The great demand for this
kind of food, both at home and
abroad-a demand which is con-
stantly and rapidly increasing-has
called into existence hundreds of
canning factories, scattered through
out the land. Manufacturers of ma
chinery and others are being piled
with all sorts of inquiries relative to
the canning industry. The whole
trend of affairs indicates a wide
spread and almost universal interest
in this industry, especially in the
South. 1t is but natural for the
South to take lively interest in it,
since that section has natural advan-
tages of soil and climate which other
parts of our country do not possess.
1t has thousands eff acres of kind,
sandy, loamy soil, free of stones,
plenty of bright sunshine and but
little frost and SHOWS, and, in fact,
almost all the desiderata and almost
none of the drawbacks. What can
it not do, when we see what wonder
full results have been accomplished
by Maryland, the pioneer and leader
of this business.
The best solution of the problem,
"What are you to do with n-out
cotton lands of the South?" is to
plant them in fruits and vegetables.
If these plantations are well located
with respect to transportation facii-
ties a good part of this raw material
may be sent to Northern markets,
and when prices become too low to
afford a good margin to ship in this
way the remaining crop may be put
into cans. IF there is "a lack of trans
portation facilities for marketing the
earlier part of the crop in the raw
state, then the whole may be canned.
1t would undoubtedly be wise
thing for the farmers of the various
trucking districts to unite and estab-
ish canning factories. With such
an outlet for their raw product, in
case the market should go down,
especially in the case of the more
perishable fruits and vegetables,
they would feel secure in planting a
large crop, and would not be at the
mercy of the vegetable commission
merchants and manipulators. With
plenty of good, cheap raw material
at hand and little capital, what is
easier or more profitable for the
farmers of the South than to start
canning factories?
Now, l do not wish to be under
stood as saying that any farmer who
understands how to raise fruits and
vegetables can rush into the canning
business and make success of it,
but do say that it requires less cap
ital, in proportion to the amount of
business to be done, than any other
business I know of, and that anyone
of ordinary intelligence and good,
sound business capacity can go into
it with very great chance of sue
cess. The help consists mostly of
women and children. The building
may be of the most primitive kind
mere frame shelter for men and
machinery.
Machinery with a capacity Of
1000 pound cans per day can