Vol. V. No. 115. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



303 



A CHEAP CANNING OUTFIT. 



The following account of the use of a cheap canning 

 outfit, which has been compiled from Bulletin 81 of the 

 Louisiana Experiment Station, is likely to be of interest 

 to fruit growers in the West Indies: — 



All through the growing season, on a well-established 

 farm, there is found an abundance of fruits and vegetables 

 from early spring, when asparagus and rhubarb are in season, 

 until the winter apples are gathered in late fall. The best of 

 the fruits and vegetables may be marketed, but there is often 

 a good deal of material which cannot be profitably sold, and 

 frequently goes to waste. It is in the utilization of this 

 material that a cheap canning outfit may prove profitable. 



E. .1. Watson, of the Louisiana Experiment .Station, in 

 a, recent Bulletin, gives the results secured at that station in 

 the canning of fruits and vegetables with a canning outfit 

 costing but $10. The results show what may be accomplished 

 •on many farms at little labour and expense and at consider- 

 able profit. 



There are a number of these cheap canning outfits on 

 the market, which do very satisfactory work with practically 

 all fruits and with nearly all vegetables. The one used at 

 the Louisiana Station had a capacity of .300 2-lb. cans and 

 200 3-lb. cans per day. It consisted, essentially, of a specially 

 constructed galvanized-irou boiler, made to fit either a No. 7 

 or No. 8 kitchen stove, a basket or carrier that fitted inside 

 the boiler, can tongs, and soldering irons. The station ran 

 two of these outfits, and the expense for labour and material 

 required to run them one day in putting up 600 2-lb. cans of 

 tomatos, was as follows : — 



Picking and delivering fruit, two boys at 



60c. per day each ... ... ... $1'20 



Scalding, peeling, filling, two boys at 



60c. per day each ... ... ... 120 



Wiping and soldering, one man at $1 '50 per day 1 '50 



Processing, one man at .^l -SO per day ... 1'50 



Six hundred 2-lb. cans, at 2-ic. each ... 1.500 



Solder for cans... ... ... ... 100 



Total cost pel day 



.$21-40 



The price received for the tomatos was 70c. per dozen, 

 •or a total of $3.5, which left a balance of $13'60 to pay for 

 the tomatos used. 



When high-grade peaches or pears were put up in S-B). 

 cans, and about 1 i lb. of sugar used for the syrup in each 

 •dozen cans, the cost of labour and material for a day's work 

 was as follows : — 



For labour ... ... ... ... $540 



Four hundred 3-11). cans, at 3c. each ... 12'00 



Fifty pounds of sugar, at 6c. per ib. ... 3'00 



Total 



$20-40 



For this grade of goods $1-75 was received per dozen 

 •cans, or $58-33. This left a balance of $37-93 for the fruit 

 used. Peaches were also put up without sugar, using simply 

 clear water. This grade sold as pie peaches and brought 

 $r00 per dozen. The station found that 'pears yielded 

 a larger profit than peaches, other things being equal, as 

 1 bushel of pears filled an average of twenty-four 3-K). cans, 

 and 1 bushel of peaches only sixteen 3-Ib. cans.' It costs as 

 much to put up pears as peaches, and they sell for about the 

 same price, grade for grade. 



The details observed in the canning of tomatos with this 

 outfit are thus stated by the station : — • 



In canning tomatos the first step is to scald the fruit 

 just sufficient to loosen the skin so that it can be slipped off. 

 To do this, we use a large iron kettle, commonly called 

 a ' wa.sh-jiot.' The tomatos are placed in a cheap tin vessel, 

 holding about I bushel, that has been punched full of 

 small holes, and dipped into the boiling water and allowed 

 to remain about one minute, or until the skin will slip 

 readily. The fruit is then peeled, sliced, and filled directly 

 into the empty cans. The cans must be well filled for 

 good results. This finishes the first step. The filled cans 

 are then passed to the second stage of the operation. The 

 tops of the cans wiped dry with a clean cloth, the cap placed 

 on and soldered around the rim, the small hole or vent in the 

 centre of the cap being left open. Then we are ready for the 

 third step, that of exhausting — expelling the air from the 

 cans. This is accomplish- 1 u_>. submerging the cans in the 

 boiling water (in the boiler) about two thirds of their length. 

 They are held there until they come to a boil, or for tomatos 

 ten minutes. They are then removed, the small hole in the 

 centre of the top is closed with solder, and the cans are then 

 completely submerged in the boiling water and boiled, or 

 processed, twenty minutes, which is the fourth and last step 

 in the operation. 



The following vegetables and fruits" can be successfully 

 canned in a somewhat similar manner : String beans, 

 asparagus, rhubarb, okra, cauliflower, strawberries, black- 

 berries, raspberrie.s, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, apples, 

 figs, etc. Corn and peas cannot be successfully preserved by 

 this method, unless the cans are processed for three and one- 

 half to four hours. But even then there will be many losses 

 from swelled and spoiled cans. 



CYCLONIC DISTURBANCE IN ST. KITT'S. 



Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superintendent in 

 St. Kitt's, has forwarded the following note on the effects 

 of the recent cyclonic disturbance in that island : — 



From Saturday, September 1, very high winds and 

 heavy rains have prevailed here with low barometer. On 

 Sunday morning 5 inches of rain were registered at the Botanic 

 Station, and a heavy wind blew all day from the south-west. 



No serious damage has been done in the station, only one 

 wooden fence being blown down, three large trees turned up by 

 the roots, and branches of trees broken off. One of these 

 trees, a wine palm {Ctiryoia iireiis), which was a handsome 

 specimen some 30 feet high, I am endeavouring to replant. 

 The others were of little value and will not be missed. 



The young plants and palms in the nursery suffered no 

 damage, but the plants generally in the station have been 

 wind blown and will take some time to recover from the 

 effects of the sea blast. 



At La Guerite the experiment plots are not damaged. 

 The early-planted cotton has been blown down, but I do not 

 anticipate much loss. The fine rains which were so much 

 needed, will result in much benefit to the island generally. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Mr. Thomas Thornton. A.R.C.S., Travelling 

 Inspector in connexion with Cotton Investigations, left 

 Barbados in S.S. ' Oruro' on Monday, September 10, 

 on a visit to Nevis. From Nevis Mr. Thornton will 

 proceed to St. Croix, where he -will, at the request of 

 the British Cotton-growing Association advise the 

 Danish West Indian Plantation Company in respect to 

 their cotton cultivation. 



