SHIPPING, CANNING AND DRYING 13 



been the ruling factor, though the destruction of eastern crops 

 through unfavorable weather conditions has sometimes opened op- 

 portunities for shipment from California in spite of charges which 

 were at other times prohibitory. The eastern demand for some 

 kinds of vegetables has, however, led to the production of several 

 important vegetable crops in very large volume and has thus given 

 us specialty farming in vegetable lines somewhat comparable with 

 our great fruit specialties. When this has occurred vegetable grow- 

 ing has seemed worthy of American effort and our people have been 

 proud to undertake production by the car-load or train-load of the 

 very crops which they would scorn to think of growing by the 

 wagon-load. The features of this line of production will appear in 

 connection with the discussion of the special kinds of vegetables 

 which are involved in it. 



An idea of the importance of vegetable growing for distant 

 sale can be had from the following records of railway shipments of 

 fresh vegetables beyond state lines, in tons of 2000 pounds : 



1910 78,829 1914 247,512 



1911 130,728 1915 331,941 



1912 129,659 1916 351,265 



1913 147,277 



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 operation of the 

 Panama Canal. 



Vegetable growing for distant shipment is quite different from 

 home or truck gardening. 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 particular 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. Local soil, moisture and weather conditions determine 

 what crop to raise. Though we can raise desirable vegetables at 

 some time of the year in the same locality for home use or local sale, 

 the point to consider for shipment is to raise that vegetable which 

 brings the best crop 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 estimates are chiefly based 

 upon the records of Howard C. Rowley, editor of California Fruit 

 News, the figures being numbers of cases, each containing two 

 dozen 2^2- and 3-pound cans, or the equivalent in gallon cans: 



1913 1914 1915 1916 



Asparagus 723,000 768,800 799,480 990,740 



Beans 90,190 77,065 81,905 123,475 



Peas 93,870 162,195 188,667 227,120 



Tomatoes 1,146,560 1,893,650 1,182,705 2,647,300 



Other Vegetables. 138,710 126,635 119,525 236,525 



Total cases... 2,192,330 3,028,345 2,372,282 4,225,160 



