The Washington times., 1905-12-25
BEANS BOSTON'S
PET EXTRAVAGANCE
City Spends Over Six Mil
lions Yearly.
DEMAND STEADILY INCREASES
Consumption Of Favorite Vegetable
AvaraUaS Tbirfu-Saveu 0,,ar+~
DEMAND STEADILY INCREASES
Consumption of FavoTite Vegetable
Averages Thirty y-seven Quarts to
Each Inhabitant.

BOSTON. Mass. Dec 25.-More money
is spent each year in Boston in buying
baked beans than would buy the largest
battleship in the United States navy.
In 1904 the gross receipts Of beans in
Boston were more than $500 barrels. In
each barrel are five bushels. The aver
age price at which these were sold by
the wholesalers was $1.S5 a bushel, and
when these beans were sold again by
retailers 10 their customers they brought
an average OF L cents a pound. or a
grand total OF $6.59S272
There are other places where beans
are used. but they are not Boston beans,
and can never be. unless the man who
superlntends their baking happens to
have served an apprenticeship in some OF
the Boston bakeries
So tremendous has the demand for
baked beans become in Boston that two
companies have been formed whose busi-
ness is TO bake beans for restaurants
and quick lunch esta blishments. One Of
these companies uses an average of 400
quarts a week. and the other 10000 vet
the beans that these two companies
bake are but drop IN the bucket com
pared with the consumption of the city.
Large Demand
/ The most remarkable feature of this
remarkable consumption of beans is that
/ the demand Is steadily increasing. and
that 1900 more barrels of beans were
sold in Boston !n 1904 than in 1903. There
are seasons in which the demand for
this staple IS greater than in others.
( notably the months from Thanksgiving
! to April.
] Taking the receipts in Boston for 1904
Of 6S.732 barrels. that would give the
number of bushels 1850. or SIC, ,997, ,l20
I quarts. weighing 2l.99i,2i0 pounds.
I Accepting as the population OF Boston
/ approximately $500 this would give
each inhabitant. men and women. BOYS,
/ girls and babies. an average OF thirty
seven quarts. These thirty-seven quarts
OF beans would weigh las pounGs.
How They Are Baked
/ The bean making establishments,
which are fitted with the most improved
methods. have a large porcelain Kettle
built over furnace in one corner OF
the cellar. In this huge thing the beans
are soaked during the day and par
boiled at night. Early the second morn
ing the pots in which they are to be
baked, which vary in size from those
holding twelve quarts TO ones which
hold a single quart are arranged
the beans are poured from large dippers
Then the DaKer goes aoou. 10. 30.
10 pot and puts I'm his seasoning.
/ There Is as much mystery over this
( part OF the pc Torrance as there is Ia
I ma king chemical combinations. Good
| bean bakers are n great demand. for
! 1t IS a more difficult matter 10 mix mo-
asscS, spices and WhatnOt for SO or 800
quarts Of beans than II Is TO season
criy "A small pot which is TO be eaten
n family wnere. per chance. even II
he made OF the fact, for fear OF hurt
ing the feelings OF The mother s.sfer
wi4e Cr sweetheart.
Pork inserted.
Once this precious part Of the baking
is done, an under Hborcr goes about
putting in pieces of salt pork. allotted
a. the proportion OF one pound to each
gallon OF leans.
Several hours are consumed In getting
the beans into the pots and ma=-ing
them ready FOR the oven. and while this
Is being done the mead baker is giving
/ attention 10 his oven.
On the same side of the cellar with
tie psrboiling kettle is the oven. which
must Eold 800 10 1900 quarts Of beans.
Jh" work Is 50 arranged that all the
pots are ready for baking about J.
o'clock noon. Then as quicklV as nos
sihIe they are put into the oven. ana
once IN. are allowed TO remain til .,
o clock tho following morning. WHEN the
Eorh OF taking them on. begins. As
last as one pot is oBt IL Is sent up on
an elevator Il The Moor .-D.,V.. ana .. sd
there loaded into two-hCTse waSCns
which distribute the beans to the res
taurantR
he demand for beans in the bake
shops Is greater On Saturday tIan on
any olncr day OF Jhe week, although
on Wednesday the bakers urepAre more
than on the intervening GaNs