10 TOMATO KETCHUP UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. 



upon some form of conveyor, which carries it alongside of the per- 

 sons doing the sorting, who are supposed to examine and remove all 

 undesirable fruit. At another place the sorting was done by picking 

 the fruit by hand out of the crates and making the examination. Of 

 these three methods the last may be somewhat the best, but is expen- 

 sive, because of the time required in the handling of the product. 

 After working beside the sorters, noting each method, and observing 

 .carefully the results obtained, it appeared to the writer that a large 

 part of the defective sorting was due to the fact that in order to make 

 sure that every fruit is sound it must be turned over in some way 

 so that all sides of it may be inspected, and thus far no mechanical 

 device for doing this has been seen. If this could be accomplished, 

 it would result in a great saving of time in those factories where the 

 sorting is at present being well done, and in a more effective sorting in 

 those places where at present too few persons are assigned to this 

 inspection to make it satisfactorily when so great a quantity of to- 

 matoes must be examined in a short time. It seems that it would 

 not be a serious mechanical problem to devise an apparatus which 

 would turn the tomatoes as they pass in front of the sorters, and thus 

 increase the effectiveness of this part of the work. 



WASHING. 



The process of washing is a very important one, since by it the 

 sand and soil are removed, and if this is not properly done, the 

 product is liable to be condemned as filthy. 



If the skin of the fruit does not enter into the food product, this 

 feature is not of such moment, since the sand would be removed with 

 the skins and discarded ; but if the whole tomatoes or trimmings are 

 used in the manufacture of a finished product it is very important 

 that the washing be well done. 



This is attempted by a great variety of methods, some of which 

 are effective while others are worthless. Those washers in which the 

 fruit is simply dipped into the water are practically useless. In some 

 of these the water was changed so seldom that even if the soil were 

 removed they would still be open to severe criticism. They may serve 

 as scalders, but in no sense are they more than mere rinsers when it 

 <!omes to the question of removal of dirt. Any washer which allows 

 fruit to come through with soil still clinging to it is obviously 

 ineffective. 



After watching the operation of 10 or 12 different forms of washers 

 and observing the fruit as it came from them, it appears that the most 

 effective one seen was a machine devised, and in part constructed, as 

 a homemade washer remodeled partly from a pea grader. It con- 

 sists of a cylindrical body 8 feet long and 2 feet in diameter covered 



