The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-10
THE CANNING FACTORY.
NEambcr OF Commerce Sending Ont
Letters to Farmers To Ascertain
Number Of Acres That will be
Planted. Replies Coming i'm Slow
ly. Merchants Should Help.

The Chamber Of Commerce has
! sent out this week some 800 letters
to farmers living in the county ask
ing them TO plant for the proposed
canning factory. Replies are coming
IN slowly and it may be necessary to
make personal canvass. The mer-
chants and business men Of the city
can help by talking the subject with
their farmer friends. The establish
ment of such factory, while it will
mean great deal for the farmer di-
rectly, Will be of the greatest benefit
To the business man. Suppose for in
stance that 10000 bushels Of sweet
potatoes are delivered to the factory
at hlty cents per bushel. That will
mean the distribution Of $4,000 in
cash at time most needed. The
same is true of tomatoes and beans.
only in the later case the cash will
come in early in the summer. From
| every point Of view this factory will
result in the greatest good to the
community. 1t would he surprising
to know just how much money is
sent out of the county every year for
canned gods. Here is a factory that
takes the raw material from home.
uses home labor and most of the man.
ufactured article will be sold at home.
At the present time all this money is
sent out of the county. 1t is GER
tainly case where every man living
in the county should help.
A great many questions have been
asked as to the methods of handling
the produce. The factory. early in
the fall and winter vii. contract with
the farmer to grow the produce need
ed at the prices named. These prices
DO not vary for the season but the
farmer is assured by his contract
that every bushel Of the produce
grown will be paid for at the contract
price no matter what the local price
may be. The farmer on his part
agrees to deliver to the factory every
bushel grown on the acreage con-
| tracted for. AS soon as these con-
tracts are completed the factory pro-
ceeds to sell its output long before
1T is delivered or canned The prices
paid to the farmer are based on the
|
prices paid in other canning dis
tricts. The canning factory must be
prepared to meet this competition
The local canning factory will secure
the advantage of the freight rates in
selling to the local market. BY To-
cal market is meant the local distri-
buting territory which the local fac
tory may be able to cover. The out
put of the factory is usually sold to
the wholesaler who will cover these
goods with his own brand.
The difficulty in the establishment
Of such factory in Sumter is neither
a question of selling the manufacture
ed articles or in securing the capital
needed but in securing the raw ma
terial or produce. \ few sweet DO
tatoes have been grown in the cOun-
ty and practically no tomatoes or
green beans. The factory will need
about 200 acres Of sweet potatoes.
200 acres of tomatoes and 100 of
beans or about 10000 bushels of
sweet potatoes. 10000 Of tomatoes
ana 10000 of beans. Later other
produce will be canned. such as
pumpkins. fruit and berries. To can
English peas will necessitate entirely
different machinery. For the season
of 1913 the factory will agree to pay
SOC per bushel for sweet potatoes.
soc for tomatoes and 45c for beans.
che factory will furnish all the seed.
sips and plants TO the farmers who
may contract at wholesale prices
| Wherever crates are needed in mar
kcting the crops as In case Of toma-
toes. the factory will furnish the
crates. The prices paid are based on
weight and not bulk. The tomato
plants used are Of the bush variety
and do not need stalking and need
take no more care than corn. They
can be picked with far less trouble
than cotton. While the prices offer
ed seem small, it should be remem-
| bcrcd that these are wholesale pricS
IN wagon or car load lots and that all
expenses of marketing is done away
with. At conservative estimate, 800
| bushels of sweet potatoes can be
srown to the acre which at the
price named is $50 per acre. To-
lnatoes 250 to 500 bushels or $75 to