14 



cooling platform ready for labeling and boxing. The supervising, 

 inspecting and mechanical work is done by white men, as is also the 

 labeling and boxing. 



Until recently, what in trade parlance is known as "hole and cap" 

 cans were used. They have a hole 2 T 1 TS - inches in diameter in the top of 

 the can and are sealed by a tin cap being soldered over the hole. It 

 required considerable skill and time to pack a can through this small 

 opening. More modern methods have brought about the use of the 

 "sanitary" can, which comes to the cannery without any top, making it 

 much easier to clean and pack. It is closed, as explained later, by hav- 

 ing a top crimped on its end. As each can is filled, it is placed on a 

 wooden tray holding a dozen. These trays pass under the eyes of an 

 inspector who sees that they are properly packed. The trays then go to 

 the "brining table," where an ingenious arrangement of twelve pipes 

 automatically fills each can full of a weak brine, a mixture of pure water 

 and the best salt. The cans then go to a series of three machines 

 through which they are passed automatically ; the top is clinched on by 

 the clincher, the temperature raised by a steam bath so as to drive all 

 air from the can by the exhaust box, and the edges of the can and of 

 the top are doubled together into a hermetical seam by the seamer. The 

 cans are then placed in a retort, where they are cooked for twenty-five 

 minutes in a steam bath of 230 degrees Fahrenheit, under a pressure of 

 7 pounds. They are then ready for the cooling platforms and, after 

 inspection, are labeled, boxed and warehoused for shipment. 



Shipments are made in wooden cases holding two dozen of the ordi- 

 nary (2J-pound) cans and four dozen of the smaller (1-pound) size. 

 The total output of the California canneries for the last four years has 

 been: 



1912 18,000,000 cans 



1913 19,000,000 cans 723,000 cases 



1914 20,000,000 cans 708,810 cases 



1915 21,000,000 cans 800,380 cases 



The canner's expenses, including cost of asparagus, material used in 

 canning, labor, interest on investment and freight from cannery to San 

 Francisco or Sacramento (regarding the product loaded on the cars at 

 these latter points as 100 per cent) run about as follows : 



Per cent. 



For asparagus - 40 



Cans, solder, salt, etc : 20 



Labor 21 



Labels, boxes, lacquer, etc 4 



Freight and drayage 2 



Miscellaneous expense, including interest on investment 13 



One dozen 2J-pound cans of the Large White (the standard grade of 

 the better sort) is sold by the canners at $1.90, or 15.83 cents per can. 

 The freight rate on this to Chicago or New York is 62^ cents per hundred 

 pounds, or 1^ cents per can by rail ; or 40 cents per hundred pounds by 

 rail and water via Galveston, equivalent to 1 cent per can. This grade 



