No. 6.. DEPART]VrENT OF AGRICULTURE. 265 



secured a patent for it from the United States in 1862, several years 

 after the application had been made. Isaac Wiuslow was the first 

 to pacji sweet corn in cans for sale. In 1847 the first tomatoes were 

 packed for sale. This was in New Jersey. It was not long before 

 small canning factories were established in several States east and 

 west, but many reverses were met with from time to time to dis- 

 courage very extensive packing. As late as 1878, the corn packers 

 of Maine lost their entire output by having it spoil, for a reason 

 which they could not then discover. E. D. Duckwall referring to 

 this evect in his '•Bacteriology" of canning in 1899 says; "The few 

 manufacturers in Maine at that time suddenly had a very rough ex- 

 perience in 1878, when the entire output spoiled, nor were they ever 

 afterwards able to sterilize their cans by the boiling process. Capi- 

 tal had been invested, and the business had been growing rapidly 

 before, and now every thing seemed to be lost. New locations were 

 tried, longer times of boiling were given, but without avail; the corn 

 seemed to have changed into a new product which would not keep. 

 Some manufacturers sent samples to chemists for analysis to find 

 out what caused the trouble, but the real cause not being known they 

 could not give the manufacturers any information of practical value, 

 except that the spoiled corn contained small rouod globules which 

 were not dissolved by boiling heat." Such experiences kept canners 

 shy of making heavy investments until a closer study of the diffi- 

 culties brought about such modification of the processing of corn 

 that "swells" became infrequent and are now reduced to a very small 

 fraction" of the pack. 



Tweoty-five years ago the demand for canned goods became brisk 

 and factories were springing up in many of the States, prominently 

 in Maine, New York, New Jersey and Maryland, the last named being 

 a strong leader in the industry for several years. In 1890, it is re- 

 ported that 2U,0U0 factories were in operation in the United States, 

 a-ud it is very probable that the late census will show that the num- 

 ber has more than doubled with greatly increased facilities. 



CO-OPERATIVE CANNERIES. 



In recent years, agents of canning machinery manufacturers have 

 visited rural communities to induce farmers to organize themselves 

 into companies to grow vegetables and erect a canning factory to 

 pack the crops. All encouraging information was freely given and 

 the so-called "secrets" of canning were promised in the event of 

 organizatidn. The agent was interested only to the extent of mak- 

 ing a sale of the factory outfit for which, often, an exorbitant price 

 was charged. It stands to the credit of the farmers, however, that 



