Evening journal., 1922-08-14
TOMATO YIELD
IS HARD HIT
Powerboats Scour Eastern
Shore for Crops to Run
Packing Plants
HIGH PRICE MARK
FOR CAMBRIDGE

chester county was splendid. The
prospect kept the grower and the
buyer guessing alike. Both the pack
er and the farmer hesitated as tc
price.
With July came torrential rains
Often whole fields of tomatoes were
under water. Repeatedly the plants
were entirely submerged, so that
when the time arrived TO harvest the
crop. instead Of a boom year the
yield is now so per cent. short.
Then. too. the acreage was less
than in some other years. In 1918
the acreage in the United States
was 355. 900; in 1919 II was $4,000;
In 1890, 230, 900, and in 1921, $4,000.
Last year, on account OF the big
surplus stocks. canning was negligi-
BILE. This year a moderate acreage
was planted. It was hoped by the
optimistic that at least 10000, 900
cases would be packed this year,
since the stocks had been largely
used up. 1t IS said that II will re-
quire 100000 cases to restore the
empty shelves of retailers.
It IS not to be wondered then that
at present there is excitement in the
canning Industry. Packers who have
sold for future deliveries are going
to have a difficult task to I'LL their
contracts. -
The packing season is on in Cam
bridge and the situation is being
met as far as possible by the CO.
operation of the grower and packer.
AS the amount OF tomatoes in
sight declines the growers are in
creasing the price. II was pre-
dicted before the opening of the
season that the price would be
about s12 TO s14 per ton. At noon
Thursday the Phillips Packing Com
pany here was paying 35 and 40
cents basket, or around s24 a ton
a most unusual price.
This afternoon there were rush
ing to Cambridge at least is power
boats from Pennsylvania, New Jer-
sey, Delaware and Virginia, all
loaded with tomatoes bought on the
market. Packing houses have been
closed down for the want of raw
material. The labor was being held
at the plants. Lookout men were
stationed to signal the approach OF
any boats. that they might be
quickly unloaded and hurried back
for another cargo.
Boats are cruising the tidewater
counties OF Maryland and Virginia
paying cash for any offerings and
everything is being done that is
possible to bring. with the aid OF
he whole tidewater section, the
back OF Dorchester near TO normal.
Yes. the tomato industry is ex-
,ited. The excitement is augmented
BY the hesitation OF the packers of
other counties TO promise a good
price for the raw material. The
advice OF the William B. Silver Com
pany. of Aberdeen. to plant only a
% per cent. acreage. given earlier
IN the season. is also having its
enect, tomato men say. They point
out that In Dorchester only so ner
cent. OF the expected harvest will he
garnered. and had the acreage been
cut as suggested the yield would
have been 25 per cent. of normal
and the packers of this section woild
nave been unable to make ends
meet What this means TO Cam
bridge can be best understood when
Il is remembered that the Phillins
Company alone employ l.5OO peonie
with payroll OF s450,00O.
A bit OF propaganda is being sent
'ut urging all concerned to get to-
'ether and agree upon a price per
asket, or ton, that will give TO the |
rover price with profit. The ar
offered by the progressive
mes is that in shortening the pack /
le prosperity of this season is being |
starded to the benefit of the South
nd West
So slowly are the ripened tomatoes
'ming that it looks as though the
cal labor would handle the crop
Id the foreign element would not
needed. In so far as this indus
y is concerned, it looks as though
e cry OF the "Bohick" will be ST. !
need by the cadence of the 'sSho'
lrkey" In the huts the American
monograph has usurped the place of I
le accordion. =
A visit TO one of Cambridge's
acKng houses disproves any alle- /,
aelon that cleanliness is foreign. As r
ne approaches he enters through o
.euse OF howers with a center of Il
saeed eolors. The wagons are | G.
-1Feh UP to the end Of a machine n
- tunnel-like casing. THE T,
tomats' are dumped fron, tho bss :,
ser $ 10 a perforated moving nlatfo--, =,
lney look very pretty as thew n,o,a
hto steaming wash.
This is all the watcba- -.
ne Is toid that after this bath thew g. g.
gel a boiling. Then, before tbey :
emerge, a cod plunge helms +bat. =
agony. Naturally, the skin Is neei M
ng by this time and the tor,a.oa- ,
re dumped into wire baskets .ns Il
'iyen TO the 'skinners," colorea Ne ~ :
nen all dolled up in white cans ana :,
prons.
This is the only part Of the opera =
on in which the human hands :
'uch the product. Then after the I
'kinners" have skinned them an T
her cooking comes, then to the
ms waiting in long row. The cans /
e sealed as they pass by. When c
ey are labeled and boxed the op- I
alton Is complete. r
links Situation Critical. !
Colonel Aibanus Phillips, Of the r
,ilips Packing Company, the Y
Fgest operators of their kind in S