Smyrna times., 1924-08-27

IN factory, the necessity OF working |
intensely during a comparatively |
short period. In the home the can
ming and preserving season requires |
from the housewife, during trying |
weather, many hours of labor in a |
hot kitchen. In the commercial fac
tory it puts up to the owner or man.
ager the problem of getting an ade
quate working force assembled for a
month or two of intensive operations.
Among the leading states in the
commercial canning and preserving in
dustry, the months of maximum and
of minimum activity, as indicated by
the number of people employed are:
State Maximum Minimum
| California ....... August January
Illinois ........ August January
Indiana ....... September January
Iowa August January
Kentucky ...... September January
Louisiana ....... October January
Maine ...... September February
Maryland September January
Massachusetts, January August
Michigan September January
Mississippi November June
Missouri September March
New Jersey September March
New York ..... September March
Ohio .......S September January
Oregon ......... June February
Pennsylvania September January
Virginia .. September December
Washington -. September January
Wisconsin July January
The variation between maximum
and minimum number of employees
differs widely in the various states.
AS already mentioned, the variation
in Massachusetts is not great. The
states with the greatest differences
are Wisconsin, Virginia, Mississippi,
: Maryland, Maine, Indiana, Iowa, Cal
ifornia, Missouri, and Oregon. Just
how great is this difference is shown
by the census figures which reveal
that in its month of greatest activity
-July-Winconsin in 1921 gave en-
ployment in its commercial canning
and preserving factories to sixteen
times as many people as in the least
active month-January. Virginia re-
quired fifteen times as many in Sep
tember as in December. Mississippi
Maine and Maryland increased then
forces twelve fold to meet their needs
Indiana and Iowa eleven fold, and
Missouri, California and Oregon ter
= fold.
e What do these states can and pre-
u serve that leads to the extremely sea
d sonal employment situation? Th'
i leading articles for each state, as re
d corded by the census of manufactur
n ers, are:
Wisconsin-Peas, corn, beans beets
Virginia-Sweet potatoes, tOmatoe
I. Mississippi-Shrimp.
Maryland Tomatoes, corn, pea:
y beans.
Maine-Sardines, corn, apples, bean
- berries.
u Indiana-Beans, tomatoes, corn.
W. Iowa-Corn, beans.
OF California-Peaches, pears, aspal
agus, apricots, sardines, tuna, chez
ries, tomatoes, spinach.
Missouri-Tomatoes.
Oregon Salmon, berries, pear
cherries, apples.
Other articles are canned and pr
It,, served in these states, of course, b.
these items lead the list in each f
value. Other states also have cor
mercial factories putting up many
these articles. The states named
clude only those in which season
employment is most marked.
Crops differ in the period requir
to reach maturity, and the time
which they are ready for harvesti
varies, of course, with the regions
which they are grown. The harve
ing season in any one locality can
and is prolonged by planting at
tervals so that the entire harv
'Oc does not mature at the same tir
but there are well defined limits wi
in which they must mature if they {
to give a first-class product.
The problem of getting adequ
and satisfactory labor for the CO
Del paratively short canning seas
coupled with the gradual rise
wages and reduction in working no
in recent years, has greatly stimuli
ed the invention of machinery ;
other devices to supplant hand VIC
The industry still has problems
solve-for the facts just stated 81
that its employment is very seaso
in character-but it has succeeded