474 ANNUAL. RIIPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



always be at long range. A slight variation in market values of one 

 or more of these manufactured products may change the results 

 to the loss side of the ledger. The season just closed is an example 

 of extreme market fluctuation. Owing to the short crops of early 

 varieties, and their good quaility, consumption apparently increased 

 and the demand became active for apples at strong prices which ab- 

 sorbed a large per cent, of the large crop of Greenings of Western. 

 New York, and then sought the bulk or barreled later varieties, 

 prices for "bulk" apples finally reaching a point too high for either 

 evaporators' or canners use. 



This season has proven that green fruit values do not affect the 

 market prices of evaporated, and have only a slight influence on 

 canned goods, prices of both of these commodities being largely 

 controlled by ruling prices of small fruits and the sun-dried products 

 of the Pacific Coast, 



Ignoring present conditions entirely, the building and equipping 

 of an evaporator is a profitable investment, as a protection or form 

 of insurance against the much dreaded wind storms and tornadoes. 

 This plan is followed by many speculators, when buying the entire 

 crops of large orchards on foreign territory, especially in regions 

 subject to that much dreaded disease — bitter-rot. 



EVAPORATORS. 



Whether in your case, it is best to build and equip a plant only 

 large enough for your own individual orchards, or to co-operate 

 with others and build a large capacity, is for you to consider, taking 

 into consideration all local conditions, present and future. For a 

 modest plant, a two-kiln plan with work room attached would suf- 

 fice, but the question of power for this, should only be decided after 

 taking into account ruling wages, as against a larger investment of 

 capital in case of the power plant. One's available capital should 

 be the ruling factor in selecting a type of building whether a cheap 

 frame of 2x6 inch studding "drop siding" on outside and building 

 paper on inside to make an air space or whether this space be 

 filled with cement or still better of solid cement construction. This 

 latter holds heat much better and is wind proof. All outfits of four 

 or more machine capacity should have a complete power equipment 

 so that no hand work is required (except trimming) from the time 

 the apple is placed on the fork of the paring machine, until the 

 thoroughly bleached and evenly sliced product is finally deposited on 

 the kiln, under which a fire is already burning to reduce the mois- 

 ture content to 27 per cent. 



After removal from the kilns, the dried product should be shoveled 

 at frequent intervals, in order that it may be thoroughly cured. 



The skins and cores when dried are known in the commercial 

 world as "apple waste" and are largely used in the manufacture of 

 jams and jellies, and recently in a small way, in making vinegar. 

 For the latter purpose, one and a fourth cents per pound is the 

 price limit which happens to be about present quotations. 



CANNING. 



Canning is usually conducted on a large scale by those having 

 large interests and usually an established market for their brands. 

 These large concerns use asparagus, peas, beans and sweet corn as 

 well as small fruits, and only use apples when they can be purchased 



