654 BOARD OF AGKTCULTURE. 



A CANNING FACTORY ON THE FARM. 



ELMER G. TUFTS, AURORA. 



[Read before Ripley County Farmers' Institute.] 



The farmer of to-day, to succeed, must take advantage of every oppor- 

 tunity that may be offered in the way of raising such crops as are best 

 adapted to his soil and locality, and such as there is a good demand for. 

 He must also find the best market as near home as possible. 



We too often continue growing the same crops that our fathers raised 

 when the soil Avas in its virgin state, regardless of what our competitors 

 of the West are doing towards supplying our home markets with produce 

 that years ago could be raised here successfully but now is grown at a loss. 



If we go into any of the town or city stores, almost the first thing 

 that attracts our attention is the fine display of tlie many different kinds 

 of canned goods. Upon inspection we find they are generally from the 

 Eastern States and California. 



We can not compete with the West by raising corn, wheat and hay, 

 then let us compete with the Elast by raising fruits and vegetables to 

 supply our home markets at least as well as furnishing a surplus for the 

 canners. 



There is no other locality in the State where the soil and climate are 

 better adapted to the growing of fruits and vegetables than that of south- 

 eastern Indiana, of which this county forms a part. The clay hillsides and. 

 high ridges form an ideal location for peach, appie, pear and plum 

 orchards, and the gi-owing of tomatoes and other vegetables. Yet we find 

 this industry greatly neglected here. The reason for this is, that, in the 

 first place, many farmers have not learned that they can produce better 

 and more profitable crops than what have been grown on their farms, 

 year after year, for several generations past. And then many that 

 have ventured into fruit growing far enough to be able to produce an 

 oversupply of inferior fruit, have become discouraged and turned their 

 attention away from the business, when by devoting more study ~^nd 

 work to growing more and better fruit they wo\ild have made a success. 

 And the fruit growers in some sections who have made a study of pro- 

 ducing the best sometimes find, when harvest comes, that the local mar- 

 ket is overstocked and there is fruit in abimdance everywhere, and as 

 there are but few commercial orchards they can not ship to advantage 

 to the distant city market whore such produce is scarce, consequently the 

 prices are so low that they are compelled to let their fruit hang on the 

 tree or* vegetables rot on the ground. 



