PRESERVATION OF FRUIT. 381 



out of the War of the Rebellion caused a demand that rapidly 

 grew into gigantic proportions, and to-day finds the tomato-canning 

 industry employing an army of men, women, and children, while 

 millions of dollars are invested in the payment of labor and the 

 erection of plants. 



In order that our readers may have a clear idea of the business 

 we will commence with the beginning. Having made up his mind 

 to engage in the business on an average scale, the packer will 

 first find a suitable plot of ground, on a navigable stream, if pos- 

 sible. Having secured this, the next thing is the erection of the 

 buildings ; these are generally one story in height and as large and 

 roomy as the capital will warrant. The next step is to secure the 

 requisite supply of fruit, and for this purpose the farmers are 

 drawn on and contracts entered into with them in which the 

 packer agrees to take the entire marketable product of a certain 

 number of acres or else to take so many tons. These contracts 

 are generally made about the first of the year, and as soon as the 

 sun drives the frost from the ground the farmer prepares his beds 

 and sows his seed. While the latter is growing the land which 

 is to be planted is heavily manured and plowed and carefully 

 worked until it becomes mellow, and then hills about four feet 

 apart are made, and into each one is put a small quantity of com- 

 post or phosphates. The tomato plants, having by this time 

 grown to the height of 6 or 8 inches, are taken from the beds, and 

 on a cloudy day or the latter part of a bright day transplanted 

 and tended about as other growing crops. With a favorable sea- 

 son the farmer should commence delivering to the factory about 

 the middle of August. 



The arrangement of a canning factory is, of course, a matter 

 of taste, but the most complete, in our opinion, is one where every- 

 thing moves in a straight line, and in which none of the help is 

 obliged to interfere with one another. The first thing to be done 

 with a load of tomatoes is, of course, to weigh them, and for this 

 purpose platform scales are built at an end door and the wagons 

 driven on them. After being weighed the tomatoes are handed 

 over to the scalder. Tomatoes arriving in all kinds of weather 

 and conditions must, of course, not only be washed but scalded, 

 so as to thoroughly loosen the skin from the pulp, and to do this 



