1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



771 



his refuse directly out to the fields, and has it 

 plowed under. Let us now go back among the 

 women-folks. 



The peeled tomatoes are poured into a large 

 hopper. Under this hopper an automatic ma- 

 chine for filling cans puts just the right quanti- 

 ty into each can; and some quick-fingered girls 

 lift the cans out of the vvay as fast as they come 

 out of the machine. The empty cans are fed 

 into the machine through a long shoot, or 

 trough, that seems to go away up into the attic. 

 After the cans are filled, the grooves for the 

 solder are carefully wiped out by more girls. 

 Then another lot put on the caps. Each can is 

 then placed on a revolving table, and the prop- 

 er amount of powdered rosin is sprinkled on 

 while it revolves. Then a gang of expert tin- 

 ners, with a hot iron in one hand and a bar of 

 solder in the other, fill the groove with solder. 

 Some more women pick up the soldered-up cans 

 from the revolving table, and then they are put 

 into wire- cloth casres, or trays, perhaps two 

 dozen in a tray. These trays have a sort of 

 bail made of four chains. When this chain bail 

 is not in use it lies down on the can-tops so they 

 can be tiered up. They do not get tiered up 

 very high, however, for some smart muscular 

 colored boys grab them with a sort of revolving 

 crane, swing aloft in air, and then lower each 

 cage into a vai of boiling water. The water is 

 boiled by means of a steam-pipe. When the 

 tomatoes are boiled long enough, they are 

 yanked out and placed under a shower bath of 

 cold water. When cool enough so they can be 

 handled they are wheeled out into an open yard 

 outdoors, and stacked up to dry. Out in this 

 yard we not only found carloads but trainloads 

 of canned tomatoes right in the open air. I 

 asked them what they were going to do if a 

 shower should happen to come up. They said 

 they tried to get them under shelter somewhere 

 before they were kept wet very long. 



Now, somewhere in the process I think some- 

 body pricked a hole in the cans when boiling 

 hot, to let out the air and steam; but in think- 

 ing about it afterward I could not see where 

 this was done. I did see one man mending the 

 cans that had burst by the pressure of the 

 steam; but the whole operation was rushed 

 forward with such rapidity that one could 

 hardly tell what was being done. Why, I really 

 believe that a load of tomatoes standing in the 

 street might be put into can>i, and soldered up 

 ready for market, inside of half an hour. I 

 asked my companion if they had a set of farm- 

 ers around Xenia who are so conscientious that 

 they never bring a rotten toiuato to market. 

 He said he did not quite know how they man- 

 aged that part of it; but I have been told that, 

 if the least bit of decayed tomato goes into any 

 can, that can will commence immediately to 

 ferment, and the can will bulge out so that it 

 can be easily sortrd out from the lot; and we 

 saw in that same dumping-ground quite a few 

 bulged cans. I would suggest that, if an\ t)ody 

 is going to buy that sort of compost for manure, 

 he does not want any tin e<ms to plow under in 

 his garden. I know from experience that tin 

 cans are not valuable as a fertilizer. 



Where a contract was made for the tomatoes, 

 the price was, if I am correct, 24 cts. a bushel; 

 but to others, who brought them in where there 

 was no contract, they paid only 18 cts. After 

 one has visited such an estaiilishment, and 

 noted the rapidity with which each operation 

 is pushed along, where almost all of the work 

 is done by the piece, he generally concludes he 

 can not compete with these cannins factories 

 by doing the work on a small scale. I hav(? had 

 some experience in this line. My impression is, 

 one had better sell his surplus tomatoes for 

 what he can get, or let them rot on the ground. 



unless he makes a business of it. It costs quite 

 a sum of money to rig up; and when once start- 

 ed, unless a considerable amount of business is 

 done it can not pay expenses. Drummers are 

 offering the new crop of 1894 already, as low as 

 90 cts. per dozen cans. This, you see, is only lli 

 cts. each at wholesale. Of course, it is all right 

 for each family to put up what they want for 

 their own use in glass cans, using the same 

 cans year after year, and thus cut off the ex- 

 pense of cans to hold the product. 



soldiers' and sailors' orphans' home. 



After I visited the canning- factory I had a 

 limited time to pass through the grounds of 

 the home mentioned above. Jt is a most beau- 

 tiful place; and the way in which every thing 

 has been done that money could furnish to 

 make it pleasant and comfortable for the chil- 

 dren is indeed wonderful. Instead of having 

 them all in one great building, their sleeping- 

 rooms, if I am correct, are in small substantial 

 structures scattered over the beautiful lawns. 

 Covered pathways, however (that reminded 

 me of those we have between our different fac- 

 tories here), enable the children to go out lo 

 and from their meals, probably even during 

 wet and stormy weather. The beautiful walks 

 and drives, and the gorgeous display of flowers 

 and foliage plants, are equal to any thing I 

 ever saw. Only one thing seemed to be lack- 

 ing— mothers for the motherless boys. Very 

 likely kind motherly women are employed to 

 look after them. In fact, there must be some- 

 thing of the sort, for I am quite vv'ell acquaint- 

 ed with several boys who have been brought 

 up mainly in this institution. In fact, some of 

 them are now in my employ; and during vaca- 

 tion time, when they come home, I often get 

 quite a little information from them in regard 

 to this beautiful spot. As I saw them scattered 

 over the ground at work and at play, an invol- 

 untary '■ thank God" rose up many times, to 

 think that our State of Ohio has had the pru- 

 dence and forethought to provide this home for 

 these little unfortunates. 



I expected to start for Dayton, sixteen miles 

 away, in time to reach there before dark. At 

 just about starting-time i found out that a 

 young married couple, particular friends of 

 mine, had, for some reason, given up going to 

 church of late. The husband was formerly a 

 church-member in another town, and he had 

 not as yet procured and presented a letter to 

 any of the churches in Xenia. His reasons for 

 holding aloof from bodies of Christian 'people 

 were, that there were so many in the church 

 who are '• professors and not possessors." I 

 plead with them long and earnestly. The hus- 

 band was acquainted with the pastor of the 

 denomination to which he belonged, and he 

 admitted that this pastor was a good man- 

 yes, a grand good man. Why, dear friends, 

 the pastors of almost any of our churches are 

 grand good men. Now, suppose one of these 

 young ministers — one who is good and wise, 

 and full of (}od"s spirit, should happen to have 

 — well, say in an extreme case he had a good 

 many in his church who are not as good Chris- 

 tians week days as they are on Sunday. What 

 is to be done? Let him fight the battle alone? 

 God forbid ! Suppose bad boys go to your 

 school. Will you keep your children out on 

 that account? Certainly not. Rally round 

 your pastor. If hypocrites have got into the 

 church, get in yourself and crowd them out — 

 or. better still, makk good men of them. 



My exhortations gave me a wheelride in a 

 strange country partly after dark; but they 

 made me very happv. When I began inquiring 

 in the streets of Dayton, well along in the 

 evening, for the home of L. L. Langstroth, it 



