THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF BY-PRODUCTS 83 



standpoint, but from the economical view point, of supply and demand. 



I wish now by your permission to enter into a little discussion 

 of some horticultural by-products, but this in no way attempts to 

 complete the list but merely to give several concrete examples to 

 better illustrate their importance as a source of income. I am going 

 to select first the tomato crop, principally because I am interested 

 in that plant, and also because it afforas a condition to show how 

 a by-product can be changed into a chief product determined by the 

 individual. 



We might consider three phases in the utilization of the tomato 

 crop; first, canning; second, seed production; and third, catsup. Now 

 it is pure folly to say that anyone or all three phases of the industry are 

 chief products or by-products. To farther explain, let us take the can- 

 ning industry. Here the tomato as a canned product is the chief 

 commodity. But with the canned goods we have a great amount of 

 juice which is either thrown away or used for the production of 

 catsup. In this instance the canned commodity is the principal 

 product while the catsup is the by-product. Let us go farther and 

 interchange the process. Catsup will now become the chief product, 

 and it is made in enormous quantities as a chief product. Now the seeds 

 of the tomato are useless in the manufacture of catsup. In this ease 

 the seeds are removed and sold as a very valuable commercial product, 

 and is probably equal in value to the catsup. Yet in many places they 

 are wasted and a source of loss. Here the seeds are the by-product 

 and catsup the main product. This case can still be farther analyzed. 

 Suppose your business is the production of seeds'. Now seeds become 

 the principal product and the pulp and juice the waste products. 

 This is exactly what happens in a commercial plant. The juice and 

 pulp are saved, barreled up and shipped to a refining plant to be 

 be made into catsup, which is now the by-product. For this example 

 I think it can plainly be seen that the by-product especially in some 

 horticutural crops, is a variable factor and is interchangeable. 



Another very interesting and economic commodity that came to 

 my attention a few years ago as a by-product in horticulture, cer- 

 tainly bears mention at this time. This case illustrates one phase as 

 a by-product which can never be anything else and is not inter- 

 changable. 



It is well known to all present, especially those of us who are 

 interested in horticulture, from the standpoint of vegetable garden- 

 ing, or truck farming, that at the close of the season, there are 

 many crops such as cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beans, etc., that 

 are killed by a slight frost, and a great amount of green fruit becomes 

 worthless at that time. On a farm of any extent this is a waste, 

 ■which should be saved and can be made into a commodity of com- 

 mercial importance. By gathering the green, fruit of all the crops 

 such as previously mentioned and converting them into what is 



