The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-25
TURNING WASTE
''''''''' INTO PROFIT
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NV ~ ee0
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will plant citrus trees long after
he has been gathered to his
fathers.
In common with every strang-
er that visits this section of the
State, he was shown over the
citrus groves and told Of their
beauties and pro6tableness. Be
ing of an inquisitive mind he
asked questions, many ques-
tons. Also, as with thouands
lie visited the packinghouses,
and asked more questions. He
noted the washing, polishing,
packing and shipping of the
fruit; he noted that they were
graded as to size and color and
noted that many, very many,
were being thrown out as
"culls", for the packing houses
, here were proud Of the quality
and pack of their fruit, letting
none but the best go to market.
Among the questions that he
asked was What do you do
| with the "culls?" Nothing
much" was the reply, ship
them in plain boxes, give them
away or throw them away,
But this means a loss, does it
not" he quired. 81 noticed
many fruits, particularly grape
fruit, on the ground in the
groves and here see a large
pile of them. is there no use for
them. can they not be solo,
"No, they are loss that we
must figure on" 1t is one that
we must contend with" Some
times it amounts to consider
able, sometimes less, but always
a loss"
| He passed on out of the
house, but the memory of that
pile of "culls," the many fruit i'll
the groves, windfalls and I'M
slightly ones, came back again
and yet again to his mind. He
! visited more groves, more pack
ing houses and commenced to
make figures on the amount OF
fruit that was being thowr
aside, unfit for the market. The
total staggered him. Here
was a loss running to many
thousands OF dollars for the
State. Something ought to b
done to save this economic
. waste, but what!
! Preserve them. can them
The idea had been tried in !;
small way, but it had failed
The goods would not keep TO
any length of time. Even usin.
pure alcohol had failed to pre-
vent deterioration. There mus
4 be a way. He must find II
The idea would not down, so h
! set himself to look for the prop
err method. Suchenormous vast
grieved his thrifty soul and tn
, possibilities fired his magma
= ton. T
t Others had failed, it was true
e. but he must begin at the begin
5 ming. The first attempts wer
made in 1912 in his own kitchel
with his good wife to help. TIL
, ORDINARY methods of canning
and preserving were first trie
, out, both in glass jars and cans
but like the other attempts
, failed but his interest did not fai
but became more intense. Her
was problem to be solved an
he believed that he was the on
to solve it. The ambition c
the conqueror was his and tn
greater the obstacle the create
his zeal. Going to Minneapoli!
he entered one of the larges
sryup and candy manufacture
in the country and began tn
study in their laboratories of tn
chemistry of acids and sweet
| and the methods of preservin
them.
Step by step from the raw m;
terial up to the finished produt
/ his footsteps lead him, notin
each process and mastering
4 Then to the large preservin
| land canning factories he entere
l as an apprentice and came Oh
l a master; and more than maste
for he had found what he sougil
Z the secret was his, he held tt
y key that would unlock the dot
! of oDDortunity and mean unto