The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-01-23
TOMATO CANNING IN
DUsTRY IN MARYLAND.
Forty Per Cent. OF The Canned To-
matOes OF The Country Packed
on The Eastern Sh0re.

canning season, when, from the
latter part of August to the middle
of October, the work Of gathering
and delivering tomatoes to the fac
tories combines with the CON
current activities Of corn harvest
ing, fall ploughing and seeding Of
winter wheat. At almost every
railroad station and important
steamboat landing the canning fac
tories are exerting every effort to
handle the wagon loads of toma,
toes as they stream in from the
surrounding fields.
Amid this intense activity one
could scarcely repress a feeling of
amazement at The strides made in
the development of horticulture
during the nineteenth century.
1t was as late as about 1880 that
the tomato, or love apple" was
only sparingly cultivated as an
ornamental plant, andwas generally
believed to possess poisonous
qualities.
The cultivation of the tomato on
the Eastern Shore as an important
field crop had its inception with
the introduction of the canning in
dustry in Hartford County about
1870. After this beginning the
industry grew rapidly, and gradu-
ally spread southwark until it has
attained considerable importance
in every county to the north OF and
contiguous to the Choptank River.
Maryland stands at the head Of all
the states in the output of canned
tomatoes, the average annual pack
being about 40 per cent of the total
for the country. According to the
estimate of The American Gro
GER" recognized authority, the
average annual pack for the Unit
ed States for the five years 1902 to
1906 was 8,97I939 cases Of two
dozen cans each, estimated as
three pound standard stock, while
the average for Maryland was
3,626,855 cases. For number Of
years Hartford County has produc-
ed and canned more tomatoes than
any other county of the country.
The output of Caroline county
alone now amounts to about one
tenth of the total pack of the Unit
ed States. Indiana, California,
Delaware and New Jersey rank in
the order named next after Mary
land in the production of canned
tomatoes.
While some canneries grow
part of their supply, the majority
depend largely upon contracts with
farmers. Cooperation between
Gamer and grower in the owner
ship and management of the fac
tory is not generally practised, but
the usual contract agreement i'm
poses at least spirit of joint action
in the management of the crop.
The Gamer desiring a certain ton
mage of good quality fruit contracts
for stipulated acreage to be
grown of approved seed. y Inas-
much as the farmer cannot antici
pate the season and consequent
size of crop, acreage contracts are
much safer, for the grower at least,
than those requiring delivery of
certain quantity.
From time to time great many
varieties have been grown; old
ones have been superseded by new
iutroductions. At present the
Stone is held in highest esteem,
although there are those who pre-
fer other varieties, as the Match
less, which not a few claim pos
sesses a better color. Experience
teaches that too much dependence
should not always be put in the
lame, as climate and variety in
soil have such influence that not
infreouently it happens the best
varieties are those which have
been developed locally and have
no trade names. The very popu-
lar Jersey Red, of New Jersey, for
instance, is development and i'm
provement Of a tomato introduced