The Daily Missoulian., 1913-08-08

States last year, which IS the highest
number on record. over 100000
cases of corn and about 100000 cases
of peas came next in the amount of
the canned products. These three
vegetables are each put up in a number
of grades, and the consideration or
standard label which will enable the
purchaser to know just what grade he
is buying is a matter to which the
Gamers are now giving consdera-
ton. Nearly 1000 establishments are
, now engaged in the food canning and
preserving industry Of the country,
without reference to what is being put
up in the homes. Their products in
clude vegetables. fruit and fish. The
canning of meats is considered a part
of the meat packing industry.
The Gamers laboratory. when its
work is once properly understood. will
do much to counteract the prejudice
against canned goods now existing in
the minds of many people There are
no tricks in the canning trade as it
is being conducted in the modern can
neries. American canned vegetables
and fruits have no artificial coloring
matter, salt and sugar being the only
preserNatiNes now in use. The ideal
canned product must possess as near
ly as possible the flavor of the fresh
article and at the same time present
an attractive appearanee. The flavor
is secured by taking the fruit or
vegetable just when it has reached its
highest state Of maturity and canning
it as quickly as possible
| impreNe the canneries 81 the world.
Machines are psanned with special ia
cillties for harvesting as we'll as pre-
pan ing tie icod for canning. Peas are
no longer cut and shelled by hand.
| The vines are cut with a moving ma
chine. a specially devised thresher
removes the green peas from the pods
and another machine sorts them ac-
cording to their size This sorting
1 machine consists Of a SERIES Of eNlin-
ders having perforated sides The first
has the smallest periorations which
takes the smallest. The second has
larger perforations giving exit to the
next in size. The Gamers have five
grades Of peas, the grading being made
according to their size, The quality is
| tllt Saint anu All ttlt tIboilN iiCSA'
| from the vines. The small size which
are sold as French peas, are more deli
cate and succulent but the larger ones
4 have the greatest amount of nutri-
ment The small peas command the
! highest price but the demand is great
est for the larger ones.
A special set of machinery is re
quired for each Vegetable. String
beans require separate machines for
stringing, for cutting into even lengths,
and for packing them in the cans after
the b!anching or parboiling process.
For preparing corn there are ma
chimes which husk the ears, remove
the silk cut the corn from the cob and
pack it in the can. Tomatoes are first
passed under a special coring machine
which takes out the core without
breaking the fruit After this they are
| passed under the sCalder and the skin
is removed by another machine.
| The canning industry is becoming
more and more highly organized 1t
is necessary to put up the products
where they grow because they deteri
crate when shipped. Consequently, one
canning firm may have half a dozen
different branches In one state the
peas are of superior quality, in an
other the highest grade OF corn may
be found, While some may produce the
finest tomatoes The firms controil-
: ing these three products can not de-
pend upon having them shipped into
a central cannely but must have In
dividual establishments to handle them
on the spot.
Corn deteriorates more quickly than
f most other vegetables. 1t is rushed
through canneries with the greatest
speed being handled sometimes in ton
t quantities. one Of the subjects of re-
search in the new laboratory will be
to devise even a greater speed in the
process of handling this staple food
so that its natural flavor may be even
better preserved. Instead of allowing
twelve hours from the time of cut
ting until the closing of the can, the
time Of the process is to be reduced to
six or eight hours if possible. This
will call into play the highest degree
of efficiency and the highest perfec
tion of mechanical equipment
The can holding the product is an
important factor IN preserving the
quality Of the food The oldfashioned
hole and cap can has come into dis
favor. In its place is being substi=
tuted = sanitary can having a plain
top which il eraHped on without the
use of solder. The objection to the
use of solder nH the ground that it
poisons the food stuff, has not been
We'll sustained, Init the new can pos
sesses the advantage Of being more
easily filled because it has the entira
top open.
The mosi recent Improvement in the
tin can Is the inside coating or lac
quering. A car 50 treated is known
u the trade as enamel lined. Ger
tain fruits ana vegetables contain
acids which attack the tin coating,
, thereby causing 4 loss of quality and
flavor besides ecoasionally forming
salts Of tin which may be unWhole-
some, The enamel lined cans are
good for berries cherries, plums,
beet, pumpkin and hominy. Appar-
entl.' they do not add to the quality