48 REPORT OF THE BACTERIOLOGIST OF THR 
serving and pickling fruit and vegetables have been very gener- 
ally neglected, although in the last analysis all of these indus- 
tries stand in essentially the same relation to the farmer and the 
consumption of his products. 
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNING IN NEW YORK. 
The growth of this industry has been so rapid that any reliable 
information is out of date by the time it is available. The most 
accurate source of recent information is the census taken in 1900, 
but this can only give a general idea of present conditions. g 
In 1900 there were reported 511 establishments in the State of 
New York engaged in canning fruit and vegetables. This was 
a gain of 352 since 1890. These factories used in a year 
$5,592,468 worth of materials,and turned out products valued 
at $8,975,321. It was estimated that 65 per ct. of the cost of 
materials, or $3,635,100 was for farm products. During this 
year these canning establishments put up 36,073,696 lbs. of 
peas in New York, valued at $1,473,912. In comparison with 
the other states New York stood first in the value of canned 
peas, second in the value of canned vegetables and third in the 
value of canned fruits. 
LOSSES IN CANNING. 
From the beginning of the canning industry there have been 
losses because a portion of the goods failed to keep. There is 
always a small loss due to leaky cans, but there are often losses 
too large to be accounted for on this basis. These failures are 
commonly spoken of by the canners as “swells ” and “ sours.” 
Cans are said to be “swelled” or fermented when the 
normally depressed ends bulge outward. When such cans 
explode or are opened the material contained is usually decom- 
posed, vile smelling and worthless as food. There are at least 
two classes of exceptions to this description of the contents: 
Certain fruits often bulge slightly when held over winter in 
storage, but on opening they are found unchanged and fit for 
food; and cans which have undergone souring will often swell if 
kept fora time in a warm place. 
Since it could not be overlooked, swelling has been known as 
long as canning has been practiced, and losses of this kind have 
