The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-02
THE PERFECT TOMATO.
Formerly Cultivated For Its Beauty
of Flower and Fruit.

What a great discovery the to-
mato was as an article of food. While
most food plants are of compare.
lively ancient origin, there are
plenty of people living to-day who
can remember when 1t was only an
ornament cultivated for the beauty
of its dainty blossoms and handsome
fruit. While its beauty was ad.
mired, 1t was considered like the
poisonous oak, dangerous to even
handle except by dark completed"
persons. Years OF acinaintanceship,
however, wore off the superstition,
and few fool hardy" persons actu-
ally owned up to having tasted the
fruit.
From this small beginning has
gradually grown use that makes
to-day an industry with a combined
capital of over thirty millions
of dollars, which disbursed millions
of dollars to its employees every year
and aggregates an output of two
hundred and forty million cans.
This product goes into every house
hold in the land and is as familiar
an article of diet as any other of
the staple products of the soil. Each
year sees an increasing consumption.
and the more intimate the acquain-
tance the greater the use.
The reason for this is obvious.
There is no better appetizer, and as
an article of seasoning the tomato
imparts a taste that cannot be imi-
tated. 1t is so distinctive that its
presence can be located even in min
ute particles, yet the pungency has
everything that delights the palate
and nothing that offends the nostril.
The growth of its general popu-
larity dates back to the time of the
first successful packing houses.
When the use of the tomato as a
food was established, demand made
it necessary to have a cheaper price
than the local market gardener
could afford, and to meet this first
the glass jar and then the tin can
as a diminisher of space were called
into requisition. 1t was found much
cheaper proportionately to raise one
thousand bushels than ten, so by
the aid of the tin the cooked product
could be placed on the consumer S
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, hermeti-
cally sealed and Immediately steri-
ized by heat, while the uncanned
fruit is frequently shipped for hun
dreds of miles before it is used as
food. This artifically ripened
fruit must be gathered green, and
the red color it finally assumes is
the withering of the hungry tissues
that should have fed the fruit with
the red nourishing juice that comes
from the soil and by the aid of ma
ture is thus transformed. No pre-
servative is used by the canner, a:
the action of heat insures keepins
| for an indefinite time.
There is nothing more wholesom,
than this rich, ripe fruit dumped ou
of a clean white can ready for use
The taste is equal to the fresh frui
and every semblance of waste i
I shape of rind or core has been re
moved. The very sight and smel
are irresistible, and the most insis
tent appetite can be sated becaus
of its absolute harmlessness. 1t
healthfulness has never been at
tackled and the rich juices, colore
as the life giving fluid act as toni
even for the invalid stomach. Their
is no home where it's visits are no
welcome, and the table of either th'
millionaire or peasant is alike ia
! miliar with it's presence.