Milford chronicle., 1904-12-30
sAUERKRAuT QUEEN.
The Proud Boast of Clyde, a Little
Town In Ohio.

The Proud Boast OF Clyde, a Little
Town In Ohio.
Nine-tenths of the American people,
If asked to locate the kraut making
center of the world, would point to
Germany, little appreciating that this
distinction now belongs to a town in
their own country.
Kraut making like other industries
which have long been synonymous
with the name of some foreign coun-
try, has in recent years been found to
excel, at least in some important par
ticular, in the United States. 1t is as
serted that there is no one place in
Germany today in which as much
sauerkraut is produced as in the town
of Clyde.
In the territory about Clyde are
1900 to 1000 acres of land in which
nothing but cabbages are planted.
Each acre is expected to yield not less
than ten tons of good cabbages. The
bulk of this crop is used in the kraut
factories, although a small portion is
shipped to the outside world. The
farmers haul these cabbages to the
factories at the opening Of the kraut
making season and usually receive for
their loads Sc to 81 a ton, although oc-
casionally the price drops to a third Of
this amount. When the cabbages are
bringing a good price the farmers
make a large profit from their fields.
It is not unusual for growers about
Clyde to receive 100000 for their sea
sons crops.
The cabbages after coming from
their storage quarters are handled by
inspectors, who scrutinize them closely
and then hand them to the cleaners.
The core is taken out by skilled work
men, after which the cabbages are
placed on a continuous carrier, which
delivers them to the grinders. The
grinders rapidly reduce the heads of
cabbage to slaw,
From the grinders the cabbage next
goes in its chopped form to the receiv-
ing tank, in which the requisite amount
of salt is added. The salted cabbage
is now ready for the yats in which the
stamping operation is carried on. These
vats hold as much as 100 barrels each.
The stamping is done by men who
wear rubber boots made for the pur-
pose. Great care is taken to have ev-
erything cleanly in connection with
each operation The kraut is allowed
to ferment two weeks and gather
strength in its own juice. Then it is
placed in barrels and sold at whole
sale Mt about $3.50 a barrel.
1t is not unusual for one factory to
grind a hundred tons of cabbage in a
single day. The season usually ex-
tends over a term Of about two months
and a half, beginning about Sept. l..
In this time perhaps the output of a
single factory will exceed $4,000 bar
rels.
The kraut making industry calls for
the making of barrels. A kraut bar
rel cannot be bought for less than a
dollar. so in the production Of the
town it is not unusual for $4,000 or
$4,000 to be expended for barrels.
The making of these barrels is carried
on in the vicinity and thus adds to the
prosperity of the kraut making center.
Other places are beginning to make
kraut on a large scale in the vicinity
of Clyde, and thus the industry prom
ises to spread over larger area. Belle
vue is trying to rival Clyde this sea-
son and has been doing big business.
It is prophesied that next seasons
crop of cabbages in Sandusky county
will exceed that of any previous year.
if the season is favorable one. More
farmers are growing cabbage, and
those who have been in the business
several years are preparing to increase
their acreage. Minneapolis Tribune