Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-08-17
Consumption of Canned Vegetables.

| Consumption of Canned Vegetables.
The present nearly cleaned up condi-
tion of canned vegetable supplies at
fords an opportunity to estimate the
annual and monthly consumption OF
canned tomatoes, corn and peas IN the
United States. Since there is only a
small remnant of last seasons pack
now in Gamers hands, it may fairly be
assumed that the sum of the production
of tomatoes for the past six years, when
divided by six, will represent the an
nual consumption, while the same pro-
cedure followed with reference to corn
and peas will be at least within strik-
ing distance of the quantity of those
vegetables consumed yearly by the peo-
pie OF this country, says Chicago Can
ner and Fruit Packer.
Tomato production during the last
six years totaled 60904,163 cases, or
lO,O6S,193 cases per year, giving us "a
monthly consumptive demand amount
ing to S39,016 cases. While there is
no better method of averaging tomato
consumption, this rate must be consid-
cred to be the minimum, because, since
the country has consumed during the
last six years all the tomatoes it has
produced, 1T is not unreasonable to sup
IL
more had been produced; and the same
assumption may be permitted relative
to corn and peas. 1t may be remarked
here that consumption of any article of
canned food seems to be a more or less
variable proposition, apparently ex-
pandlng In times of heavy production
whether or not there is proportionate
shrlnkage when the output falls off. In
support OF this suggestion, we quote the
following from the comment of a Mary
land tomato Gamer ON an estimate
made in the spring of 1908, figuring the
average monthly consumption at about
100000 cases:
"Such figures are absurd and should
be corrected at once. From August.
1906, to August, 1907, over 1880. 900
cases went into consumption, possibly
over 100000, and yet buyers were SO
hungry for tomatoes that they took in,
IN the fall months, around 100000
cases of the 13,500,000 case pack, which
every one considered dangerously large
when they learned of its size through
the statisticians, and while buying GER
talnly did languish through the winter,
1t is fact that standard 3s are al
ready getting scarce in first hands, and
1t seems quite possible that our record
breaking pack, which the writer will
cheerfuIly own scared him particularly
bad, will be almost entirely cleaned up
by the time new goods go ON the mar
ket. That would mean 100000 per
month instead of 100000, and still in
creasing."
The total production of canned corn
for six years past amounted to 51,9s4,-
449 cases. This total gives us an aver
age pack per year of s,664,Os3 cases,
which, divided by twelve, gives an
average monthly demand of 722,OO7
cases. The corn pack last year was
more than 100000 cases larger than
the figure arrived at by us as fairly
representing the demand for canned
corn, but last years pack came on an
nprecedentedly bare market, and was
absorbed with unusual rapidity, the
present frst-hand supply being nearly
nothing, and the hole to be filed by
the 1911 pack being, to all appearances,
about as large as that which swallowed
up last season IS pack.
In the years 1905 to 1910, both in
elusive, there were packed in the
United States 29,4O3, 800 cases of peas.
The average annual production, then,
was 4,900,555 cases, and the monthly
consumption 4Os,379 cases, or over a
dozen times as many peas as are in
packers hands at the present moment.