No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 37:; 



farm out of books; your grandpa uever farmed out of books; 1 won't 

 have no trick farming on tliis place. Your grandpa raised fourteen 

 ciiildreu. He always planted bis buckwheat up there by the hollow, 

 and he didn't get stuck in the swamp with any fool notions that he 

 could raise celery.' It occurred to me that I saw where the boys 

 were right in 'rotating' to the village.'' 



Although the centre of the canning business is moving west- 

 ward, as I have said;, it does not follow that there is less of it in 

 the East now than formerlv. On the contrarv there has been a 

 constant increase of business, but the expansion in the West has 

 been so very rapid that the pack of corn especially is in excess of 

 that in the Eastern states. 



The great quantity of fruits and vegetables consumed by 20,U00 

 or more canning factories are grown under contract by the farmer 

 in the vicinity of the factories. By such an agreement the farmer is 

 guaranteed a market for his entire crop, and the price at which he 

 sells his merchantable product. He may know, therefore, before he 

 plants his seed, in the case of vegetables, whether it will be profita- 

 ble to do so. The contract also guarantees to the canner the raw 

 material for his factory and the cost at which he may purchase. 



This arrangement is mutually satisfactory and helpful, except in 

 seasons when, because of drouth, blight or some other unexpected 

 disaster, the crop is very light, and the market price of the article 

 is much higher than that named in the contract. A Delaware 

 writer reviewing this matter in a recent number of the American 

 Agriculturist says: 



"In 1899 we had an exceptional yield, and the pack was, on account 

 of it, abnormal; the contract price with growers for that year ranged 

 from |4.50 to |G.OO per ton delivered at the factory. Those not con- 

 tracted for were taken, when packers could use them, at $1.50 to 

 P.OO per ton. In 1900 contracts were placed at from |4.00 to $6.00 

 per ton. Owing to the fearful ravages of blight and drouth, the 

 crop for that year was below normal. The non-contract tomatoes 

 found ready sale at fO.OO to ,1?9.00 per ton." 



In 1901 the crop was again unusually low both East and West, and 

 the price of tomatoes went as high as |24.00 per ton. This condition 

 of things induced many farmers to jump their contracts, and in con- 

 sequence the canners suffered great losses by not being able to fill 

 their contracts. This breaking of faith created trouble for future 

 dealings. It is certain that for the present year, the farmers who 

 jumped their contracts will have some difficulty in restoring amica- 

 ble relations with their canners, and the reliable farmers will de- 

 mand a higher price for tomatoes than has been contracted for in 

 recent years. In sections where farmers. have access to more than 

 one factory, they would not be troubled over the failure to contract 



