The Greeley tribune., 1908-07-15
ANSWER TO BE FOUND AT CAN.
MING FACTORY
IS RUNNING FULL FORCE
Process of Turning Field Product
Into Handy and Palatable
Table Delicacy Is Inter.
esting One-The Art
Explained
Why is the pea?

why Is tne pea!
If that question was bothering any
individual plant in any of the hun
dreds of acres of peas that grew and
ripened under the Weld county vari-
ETY. Of sunlight this summer. it has
by this time found its answer-or
will find it in the next few weeks
at the big Empson canning factory
north of town.
Tuesday, 40 loads of peas, vines
and all, were brought in and this
was a little less than two-thirds of
the average days load. Seventy
five loads per day is the average
number of loads. And the season
will continue for the next five or six
weeks.
The first thing that happens to the
pea after it parts company with the
pitchfork Is an Introduction to the
hullers. The huller is machine
with self explanatory name, and
has the same kind of job that
mother has when she is Smelling 'em
for dinner. The bulk of that which
goes into the hullers-the vines etc.
reaches the end of its career right
here and is converted into fodder
and excellent fodder it makes. 1t
can also be dried and made into meal
which competes successfully with al
falia meal.
The pea itself goes on it's way and
gets it's first washing in troughs
that are fitted up with drag chains
These chains carry the peas up al
incline and start them an their wa!
through . dizxying succession o
i tAlnaost human machines. They &
through the tanning mill; from Their
to the weigh box. where they ART
weighed automatically; then the,
have an interview with the automa
tic dump. From there they are car
ried on the conveyor belt to the
blanchers; next come two washings
in cold water; then via the convey
or belt to the grading room.
In the grading room they are
thrown into cylinders which are per
forated. the perforations being in
five sizes The peas are then caught
in pals and placed on tables and
here at last they are treated to the
old fashioned. by-hand method and
are picked over by employees This
insures absolute freedom from pieces
of pod or other refuse that might
| have eluded the machines and of
course insures the production of a
first class article.
After the peas have been picked
over they are thrown into hoppers
and are ready for the filling mach
ines The filling machines put a
measured quantity into each can and
the cans are carried along under n
brass kettle that contains the BRINE;
then they are taken on a conveyor
chain past young woman who puts
the metal cap over each can; then
comes the soldering; then finally a
trip by conveyor chain to the crates.
Each crate holds $50 cans.
All this happens to the raw peas;
it is not till the very last of the trip
that the peas are cooked. The crates
are carried by an overhead trolley
system to the kettles where the peas
are cooked in the cans. They are
then carried to the warehouse and
are ready for the labelling; and even
the labelling is done by machines.
And yet. in spite of all the work
that is done by machinery from $50
to zoo employees are necessary to
the plant. The factory is certainly
a great thing for Greeley and is all
that it was advertised to be. Here's
long life to 1t.