The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-06-23
A POPULAR FOOD PLANT.


What great discovery the tomato
was as an article of food. While
most food plants are of comparatively
ancient origin, there are plenty of
people living to-day who can remem-
Der when it was an ornament cult
vated for the beauty of its dainty
blossoms and handsome fruit. While
its beauty was admired, it was con-
sidered like the poisonous oak, dan
gerous to even handle except by
i dark complicated" persons. Years
Of acquaintanceship, however, wore
off its superstition, and few "fool-
hardy actually owned up to having
sted the fruit.
- From this small beginning has
gradually grown use that makes to-
day az industry with combined cap
ital ofover thirty millions of dollars,
which lisburses millions of dollars to
its employees each year and aggre-
gates anoutput of two hundred and
forty millions of cans. This produce
goes into every household in the land,
and is as familiar an article of diet as
any other # the staple products of
the soil. Each year sees an increas-
ing consumption, and the more init
mate the acquaintance the greater the
use.
The reason for this is very obvious.
There is no better appetizer, and as
an article of seasoning the tomato i'm
parts taste that cannot be initiated.
It is so distinctive that its presence
can be located even in minute parti-
cles, yet the pungency has everything
that delights the palate and nothing
that offends the nostrils.
The growth of its general populari-
ty dates back to the tine Of the most
successful packing houses. When
the use of the tomato as food was
established, demand made it neccess-
ary to have cheaper price than the
local market gardener could afford,
and to meet this the tin can as a dim
inisher of space was called into re-
quisition. It was found much cheap
er proportionately to raise one thou.
sand bushels than ten, so by the aid
of the tin the cooked product could be
placed on the consumers table at a
price so reasonable as to enable its
daily use. Moreover, the article put
in the can is brought fresh-picked
from the field, hermetically sealed
and Immediately sterilized by heat,
while the uncanned fruit is frequent
ly shipped for hundreds of miles be-
fore it is used as food. This arti-
fcially ripened fruit must be gather
ed green, and the red color it finally
assumes is the whitening of hungry
tissues that should have fed the fruit
with the red .nourishing juice that
comes from the soil, and by aid of
Mother Nature is thus transformed.
No preservative is used by the can
ner as the action of heat insures keep
ing for an indefinite time.
There is nothing so healthy as
this rich, ripe fruit dumped out of
the clean white can ready for any
use. The taste is equal to the fresh
fruit, and every semblance of waste
in shape of rind or core has been re-
moved. Eat it?-why the very
smell is irresistible, and the most
insistent appetite can be sated because
of its absolute harmlessness. It's
healthfulness has never been attack
ed, and its rich juices, colored as the
life-giving fluid, act as a tonic even
for the invalid stomach. There is no
home where its visits are not well
come, and the table of. the million
aire or the peasant is alike familiar
with its presence. AS Indian corn,
il is distinctly of American origin,
and proud indeed can we be of both
of these excellent food plants.