The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-12-21
Nv MICHAEL

ing thanks to the FERA, residents Of
the Bitter Root valley recently hasten
| cd To inform me. But, more than the
local reasons, there's cause for general
thankfulness even in the poorest of re-
lief homes in the Treasure state.
Production of 1000 cans Ct apple
sauce daily at Hamilton by the FERA
is one of the innumerable reasons fog
this. That may sound like apple sauce
to YOU. Well, to be prefectly frank, II
looks like apple sauce, tastes like it
and it is apple sauce-a very delicious
grade of that product for recently I saw
some 1900 gallons of the sauce sealed
in cans bearing the Montana relief COM
missions label pass down the produc-
ton line at the FERA cannery at Ham,
ilton for distribution to the states
needy.
The thought occurred to NE that
even though the proverbial turkey
might be absent. relief clients were in
deed thankful for the filling of their
relief budgets, but. more than that, fol-
the enormous amount Of fresh and pro-
cessed beef, salmon, salmon chowder,
liver pate, %jellies, fruits, vegetables, ap-
pie sauce, furniture, mattresses and
clothing distributed over and above the
necessities of a bare relief subsistence
because of the initiative, activity and
the intimate interest in the welfare of
Montana'S needy by the Montana relief
commission.
I had seen a peak days rum 12
gallons of the sauce produced but the
plant has averaged about $500 OF these
No. 10, one-gallon cans daily since Op-
erations began Oct. Is.
It takes quite a few apples to can
that much sauce. In fact, plant Off
Gals informed me about eight tons of
apples are used during a good days
run. Some 300, 900 pounds of Gull ap-
pies, or $50 tons, have already teen pur-
chased in the Bitter Root valley this
fall and were the supply not just about
exhausted canning operations might
continue indefinitely in providing this
tasty food product for all relief families.
And that is a surprising thing, too.
Gull apples are the grade that is ordi-
narily thrown away because of bruises,
undesirable color or size. This year,
particularly, when great forest fires
in western Montana and Idaho kept the
Bitter Root valley almost constantly in
a smoky haze, many late maturing va
rieties did not color as brightly as ap-
pie eating epicureans desire them and
consequently were relegated 10 the Gull
class.
These Gull apples, cannery experts
say, make as fine a grade of sauce as a
Nc. l apple. However, they would have
been left to rot on the ground or fed to
livestock had not the FERA-constant-
ly seeking industrialization of the
states small enterprises and raw pro-
ducts-come into the picture.
When DR.. w. j. Butler and the Mon
tana relief commission formulate, ap-
prove and then set up and operate a
project in Montana they usually man
age to kill several birds with one stone.
In this one, in addition to aiding fruit
growers of the Bitter Root valley, they
placed wage earners of some 80 relief
families in Ravalli county on gainful
employment, working out their monthly
relief budget, and are supplying a tasty
product for relief distribution about the
state at an almost negligible drain on
the allocated funds, which are con-
stantly being stretched to meet all
emergencies.
The physical plant at Hamilton has
been contracted by the commission