VEGETABLES FOR SHIPMENT 17 



1906 8,982 1909 8,978 



1907 4,808 1910 .., 7,882 



1908 .9,350 1911 13,073 



In addition to the foregoing there are considerable shipments 

 by sea from the port of San Francisco to Pacific countries a 

 movement likely to be largely increased by the opening* of the 

 Panama canal. 



Of the leading requirements of vegetable growing for distant 

 shipment, the following comments by S. J. Murdock, of Orange 

 county, refer especially to Southern California, but are, in a general 

 way, applicable to the whole state: 



'The grower for shipment is a specialist; he grows but few kinds, and 

 often one kind only, and it becomes necessary for him to study, the particu- 

 lar .kind he raises in all its forms, not only as to selection of variety, but 

 to obtain the very best strain of that variety. He also has to study very 

 closely the most economical methods of planting, cultivation, harvesting, and 

 marketing. Location in many instances determines what he shall raise. If 

 his land is warm, dry, and sheltered, he may raise string beans, early pep- 

 pers, summer squash, or early tomatoes ; on heavy, moist land, celery, cab- 

 bage, or onions. Another locality may be better suited for peas or asparagus, 

 but you will not find one spot suited to all of these. We can, however, raise 

 all the above-mentioned vegetables at some time of the year in the same 

 locality for home use or local sale, but the point to consider for shipment is 

 to raise that vegetable which succeeds best at the right time for shipment." 



Canned and Dried Vegetables. Another form in which our 

 vegetables are reaching distant markets in considerable quantities 

 is the product of the canneries, of which the record is given, the 

 figures being numbers of cases, each containing two dozen 2^ and 

 3 Ib. cans the pack in gallon cans being reduced to equivalents 

 and included : 



1909. 1910. 1911. 



Asparagus 412,225 623,725 691,275 



Beans 15,975 55,530 91,240 



Peas 135,310 221,615 229,185 



Tomatoes 822,180 1,731,170 1,933,970 



Other Vegetables 52,450 108,955 111,545 



Total cases 1,438,140 2,740,995 3,057,215 



Thus it appears that the product has more than doubled in 

 three years. A discussion of vegetables from a canner's point of 

 view will be given in a subsequent chapter. 



