No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 475 



at a price which will leave a profit, on the basis of the value of the 

 manufactured product for i>resent or future delivery. These con- 

 cerns are operated by sharp, shrewd business men and run on a 

 close margin of profit. In estimating the cost of canning apples, the 

 owners only take into consideration the daily operating expense, 

 making no allowance for interest on the investment. Ftom your 

 view point as fruit growers, you have the raw material at hand, no 

 freight charges, no commissions to pay, no loss and damage by ship- 

 ment, all these to offset the interest on your investment, repairs, etc., 

 so that your only disadvantage is that of selling the manufactured 

 product. A better grade of apples, both as to size and quaility is 

 used for canning than for evaporation, not smaller than two and a 

 fourth inches in diameter and not too many worm holes, since the 

 cutting out of these makes too many small pieces, a large per cent, 

 of quarters being desirable. In preparing apples for canning, 

 machines are used only for paring, the whole fruits then being placed 

 in a weak brine bath, to remove bruises and prevent discoloration 

 by action of the air and afterward quartered and cored by hand, 

 carefully inspected and put in cans holding about five pounds of the 

 fruit (the product of one bushel filling six or seven cans). Hot syrup 

 is added, cans sealed or capped and put in boiling water or steam 

 bath for six or eight minutes according to ripeness and variety of 

 fruit. This product, you will note, contains a little sweetness, a 

 little of the apple and a large amount of water. It must be stored 

 in a cool and well ventilated room, and unlike old wine, does not 

 improve with age. Compare this product, with the evaporated pro- 

 duct, from which a large per cent, of the water has been driven out 

 by heat, treated with sulphur fumes to prevent discoloration, a pro- 

 duct which, with ordinary care, can be kept almost indefinitely. 

 Always bear in mind the fact that one pound of evaporated apples 

 represents the same amount of fruit as is contained in the can pur- 

 chased at the corner store at twice the cost and it may be shipped 

 to the ends of the earth at a minimum freight rate. 



The production of cider and apple vinegar has now reached a 

 stage of scienfific and technical care and accuracy unheard of in 

 former years. The development of facilities has been in the direc- 

 tion of economy in utilizing the highest possible quantity of those 

 elements of apple juice which produce that desirable acidity which 

 renders apple vinegar unsurpassed in quality and wholesomeness. 

 There is economy of time as well as materials, the approved mod- 

 ern methods requiring but a short time compared with that neces- 

 sary to secure results through fermentation and acidification in 

 barrels. 



It may be of interest to orchardists to learn that manufacturers 

 who understand the business reject apples afl:ected in any way with 

 black or bitter rot. Ked rot is used for vinegar. Some people have 

 held the view that partly decayed and, therefore, unsalable apples 

 can be used for vinegar. That is not true of black or bitter rot, 

 as they make bitter vinegar. The change in the apple juice needful 

 to produce vinegar has already taken place and the valuable ele- 

 ments have been wasted. Red rot and soft rot, however, can be 

 used as the chemical action taking place is exactly in line with 

 vinegar production. 



The ordinary domestio process of vinegar production is well 

 known. It consists in allowing apple cider to ferment and become 



