10 



THE CANNING OF PEAS. 



the past year or two special attachments have been devised to be con- 

 nected to the mowing machine for the purpose of bunching and 

 delivering to one side. The cutting is usually done early in the morn- 

 ing, and only such part of the field is cut as can be delivered promptly 

 to the viner. The object is to prevent any heating of the vines or 

 any drying. The vines are loaded upon wagons, like hay, and hauled 

 to the vining machines. 



GRADING AND VALUATION OF CROP. 



The basis on which peas are paid for varies greatly at the different 

 factories. Many pay a flat price so much per bushel or hundred 

 pounds of shelled peas. When this plan is pursued it is advantageous 

 to the factor}' to insist on the peas being delivered as } 7 oung as it is 

 possible to use them in order to get the maximum amount of small 



FIG. 1. Hauling peas at a Wisconsin pea-canning factory. 



pi-as, but it is to the farmer's advantage to delay hauling them in 

 order to get an increase in growth and weight. Such a method is 

 not fair to either factory or producer, neither is it fair to the different 

 producers, one with a first-class load and another with an overripe 

 load. 



A second method is to have a scale of prices for two or three grades 

 of peas. The rating of any given load is made by an expert and is 

 a matter of judgment. The appearance of the vines, the size of the 

 peas, the hardness to the sense of touch when squeezed between the 

 fingers, and sometimes the taste are the factors which guide in the 

 derision. Such a method is manifestly better than a flat rate of so 

 much per bushel, but it is not nearly so accurate as could be desired 

 and is also subject to personal bias. 



A third method is to pay two or more prices, according to the 

 percentage of peas of a given size. A half-gallon measure of peas 



