Arizona republican., 1918-08-15
CANNING PEACHES
 NOW IN FULL FORCE
 AT LEWIS FACTORY

CHANDLER, Aug. 14.-You have heard this plaintive cry:
 70, why don't somebody come into the valley and put up a canning fac tory. Look at the peaches that are going to waste now." etc, etc, of the same line of chatter.
 And then in refutation of this it was the writer's privilege to take trip to the Fl Nerjcl ranch, operated by George F. and w J. Lewis, just mile southwest of town. where in a quiet way a new valley industry is being dedicated.
 Under the shade of the cottonwoods in a sanitary, electriC-lighted building. 8 force of men and, women is canning the peach crop from sixty acres of fine Elbertas and Strawberries, in addition to handling the 'ripes" from other Chandler orchards. The cannery has a capacity of 300 bottles daily, and the three peach presses, together with a big battery of heaters and kettles. un- der the direct supervision of W. J. Lewis. present an interesting and ab- sorbing picture of what has been ac- complished on land just four years out of the brush.
 Just to the right of the cannery is the shipping shed under the suporvi- sion of J. w. Johnson, who has the job of seeing that enough ripe fruit comes from the shippers to keep the canners busy. Here 5000 pounds of fresh, fancy peaches are sent out weekly this choice fruit going to the first class trade in Arizona and the South west. It is handled through the John F. Barker Commission Co. of Phoenix A stacking shed to the rear of the shipping department houses thousands of boxes
 Canning started in full blast last Thursday and will continue for three weeks. Something like 10000 jars are stored in the basement beneath the cannery and it will require four tons of sugar to put up the excellent brand of Fl Nerjel peach butter, which al ready has won it's laurels on the mar ket last year. Last year the butter output was one ton; this year it will go better than six tons, while 1919 will show an increase to ten tons. The capacity Of the plant will be doubled then. This ranch last year shipped fifteen tons of fresh peaches, while 1918 will witness the shipment of be tween thirty and fourty tons.
 The slogan of the ranch has been. ! quality first" and to emphasize how this is winning out, is the fact that the ranch is unable to fill it's orders for fresh peaches. as only sound and un- blemished fruit leaves the packing sheds. Of the sixty acres in fruit, only B acres are ip bearing, while 20 ad- ditional acres will come in next season. When it is known that this peace of land was desert just four years ago. that through scientific management and thorough business methods this | peach orchard is paying handsomely ] in the fourth year, because the Lewis es have applied the latest farming | principles to their land, one can un- 1 derstand why Arizona is beginning to | come into her own,
 George F. Lewis, who is president of the concern. gave up his business in | Chicago to throw in his lot with the Arizonans. All he knew about ranch ing was what he had read in the books and farm journals. but he applied the same principles to this project that he had to his successful printing ink business, and he won.
 The Lewises solved the problem ot the ripe fruit and possible lack of a market for the fresh. by canning. Last year they had no difficulty in dispos ing of their butter, while tbs year one concern has offered to take the entire output. F. W. Me.