26 THE CANNING OF FOODS. 



sealed. 'Recently a new style of can has been introduced for Califor- 

 nia fruits, especially for peaches, known as the luncheon size, which 

 is one-half the height of the No. 2J. These are desirable because they 

 will take in the large pieces of fruits and apparently are meeting a 

 demand. The same style in the square can is being used for aspar- 

 agus tips. 



At the present time some packers are trying to meet certain de- 

 mands by varying the fill rather than the size of the can. For ex- 

 ample, a well-filled can of tomatoes might retail at 15 cents, the 

 packer may reduce the quantity, add water, and make the cans sell 

 two for a quarter, or carry it to an extreme and sell for 10 cents. 

 A customer finding that the 10-cent can will furnish the amount of 

 tomato wanted and without waste will repeat the order. The same 

 methods are used more or less in packing fruits, using a quantity 

 which will make the can sell for a certain price. This is a crude, 

 unsatisfactory, and manifestly expensive method, and also open to 

 fraud by those who are unscrupulous. It would be far better for the 

 packer to determine what size is wanted and use such sizes, filling 

 them properly. 



THE LABEL. 



The label should tell the truth in terms which are direct and easily 

 understood. It should give the name of the article, the grade, by 

 whom packed and where packed, or the name of the distributor. 

 Neither the names nor the illustrations used should be misleading. 

 A picture of green peas in pods in clear relief and subdued type stat- 

 ing that the contents are soaked is hardly appropriate. If given a 

 geographical name it must be the true one. Corn grown in Iowa is 

 not Maine corn though obtained from Maine seed. The use of such 

 terms as " Maine style " for cream corn is in reality only an attempt 

 to circumvent the intent of a true label. 



There are no fixed standards for canned goods, though the canner 

 and the trade do recognize and describe certain qualities in jobbing, 

 and prices are made accordingly. The consumer has not been edu- 

 cated to know these differences. The labels usually carry descriptive 

 terms implying superlative quality, as extra select, extra choice, extra 

 fancy, select, choice, fancy, extra standard, and, less commonly, 

 standard. There are too many designations for the same product, 

 and, furthermore, Mr. A's fancy may not be the same as Mr. B's. 

 The grade may not be the same in two consecutive seasons, due to 

 drought, excess of rain, intense heat, or other cause; neither may 

 it mean the same in different sections of the country in a normal 

 year. In other words, at the present time the grade does not have 

 a fixed character. 



