The Newtown bee., 1904-04-01
Ten Pages
LITCHFIELD COUNTY.
NEW MILFORD.

NEW MILFORD.
 CONTINUED FROM PAGE FIVE cost of about 45 cents and 60 cents per dozen respectively. The practice in canning the tomato varies slightly in method. Some packers do not exhaust the cans before tipping, but cap and tip the cans as soon as they are filled and then subject them to the process. Others prefer to exhaust before the vent is tipped, and still others will steam the filled cans in steam boxes before capping them. Where the product can be rapidly passed from the Scalding to the process, the first method is claimed to retain the best flavor of the tomato, but if it passes slowly from step to step the tomatoes have time to deteriOrate and an infe- rior quality results. The treatment of tomatoes at the factory has been given elsewhere, but is briefly outlined here again. The fruit, fresh from the vines, is scalded by being dipped into boiling of steam. This does not cook the to- mato, but simply scalds the skin and tissue immediately under it so that the skin can be easily peeled off. This peeling is done by hand, and women are usually employed for the work. They are paid two cents per l4-Quart bucketful, receiving brass check for each bucketful as it is delivered to the packer. The checks are redeemed with cash at the office of the factory. The packer fills the cans (2 pounds or 3 pounds) as solid as possible, after which, if there is to be no exhaust, the cans are wiped, capped and tipped and then tested for imperfectlv sealed cans by submerging about one-half inch under boiling water. This treatment the sealing of the cans by forcing out the air that rises in bubbles through the over-lying water. Such cans are picked out with the can tongs and their defects are removed. The batch of cans is then processed in the open bath 30 minutes for three pound cans and g minutes for twO-pOund cans, or in the closed bath 15 minutes for three- pound cans and 10 minutes for two pound cans. The cost of canning to- matoes, like the cost of canning any other product, in fact, depends wholly upon the prices paid for raw materials and labor and the mechanical devices used. When every detail has been properly arranged the cost of packing two-pound cans will be about 45 cents cents per dozen.
 CONTRACTS BETWEEN GROWERS AND CANNERs.
 It is customary for canners to fur nish the farmers, who contract to grow certain crops for them, with the seeds or even plants for such crops. These are supplied in sufficient quantities and free of cost. The purpose of this is to insure uniform and desirable quality in the tomatoes, corn or what ever crop it may be. A written con- tract is always necessary to insure a sufficient tonnage to keep the factory in operation during the ripening sea- son. It is fairer to contract to deliver the yield of a certain number of acres yield is always variable, but the num- Der of acres may be fixed quantity. A very brief and simple form of con- tract generally used with the tomato growers of New Jersey is as follows: This is to certify that we............, have bought of. ........... the product of ..... acres of tomatoes for the season of ........ at $...... per ton, delivered at our cannery ............ Stock to be in first class merchant able condition. To be planted about ..... 190
 SlSudUuIc, :. signature, ............... . Other stipulations are sometimes in- serted, limiting the time of delivery of stock, defining refusable material, and to protect the cannery in case of fire, accident or other contingency.
 Following is fuller form of con- tract:
 ........ Pa, ....... .190. :. I...............h hereby agree to fur nish the land and everything necessary to plant and cultivate in proper man. ner ..... . acres of land in tomatoes, all to be planted with the variety of seeds furnished by the ................ Canning Co.,; and agree to deliver all the products of the above acreage to the ................ Canning Go. at their factory in ................ Pa, in sound and ripe conditions; I also agree to forfeit $5 per acre for any shortage in the. cultivated area under the contracted figure. The .......... | Canning Co. agrees to pay me S25 per acre for all the tomatoes they fail to | receive.
 In consideration of the compliance with the above conditions the ..... | .... Canning Go. agrees to furnish all the seed necessary free of charge, and 1 to pay for the tomatoes S. ... per ton | (of 2,OOO pounds) delivered at the fac 1 tory as above agreed. Settlement to be made on the e............ Tomatoes to be delivered between the hours of a m. and 6 p. m., on each working day of the week, except Saturday.
 hereby agree that in the case of the destruction of the cannerY by fire, or the clements, or iffor any unavoidab ble cause the factory is unable to receive all tomatoes grown, said factory shall have the right to limit the delivery of said acres.
 ............ Grower. .............. Canning Co. CAPITAL REQUIRED.
 The amount of capital necessary to properly conduct canning business may be much or little, according to the capacity of the factory and the va riety of goods to be canned. There have been remarkable financial suc- cesses in this business, but equally re- markable failures also, and the latter ha 1u oft r;h t/> ;x,