CANNING INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 33 



i- vt'ry small. The consumer can not purchase peas at from 30 to 50 

 cents per bushel, nor corn at $9 to $12 per ton, and these represent 

 initial costs in large quantities. 



In fruits, as berries, the consumer must figure that a No. 2 can 

 will require not less than 12 ounces of well-selected fruit, and for a 

 No. 2 can (22 ounces). The latter is equivalent to two boxes of 

 berries by the time they are picked over. Sirup is added to the can, 

 which offsets the sugar necessary for the fresh fruit. 



There is a vast difference in canned foods, and, as in many other 

 lines of commerce, the cheapest in price is often the most expensive. 

 The can of water-packed tomatoes, the green hard pears, the handful 

 of berries in a pint of water, or poor-quality beans disguised with 

 tomato dressing and offered at a low price, when measured by their 

 food value are the highest. Goods which are strictly standard 

 should give the best food value for the cost. Peas, corn, beans, and 

 tomatoes which are good field run, but which lack the uniformity 

 and niceties which are necessary for the fancy article, will have all 

 the nutritive properties, and be just as palatable, but cost several 

 cents less per dozen. There is much that is pure fad in the purchase 

 of canned foods ; the asparagus must be white and the fewest possible 

 stalks in a can; the green is just as good and a medium number of 

 stalks furnish a more edible product. The little peas are, naturally, 

 the costly ones, for less than 5 per cent are of that kind; the large 

 ones are the better flavored and more nutritious, and one-third the 

 cost. Similar examples might be cited of a number of other prod- 

 ucts. Canned foods should be purchased by the dozen or case, 

 straight or in mixed lots, rather than by single cans. 



EXTENT OF THE CANNING INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



The figures presented by the Bureau of the Census give one a 

 general idea of the importance of the canning industry. In 1909. 

 there were 3.767 establishments engaged in canning and preserving, 

 the capital invested was $119,207,000, that paid for raw material was 

 $101.823,000, and the finished product was worth $157,101,000. The 

 number of cases of the principal vegetables was as follows : Tomatoes, 

 12,883,414; corn, 7,447,765; peas, 5,873,748; beans, 3,774,923; and all 

 others 3,093,493. The number of cases of the principal fruits was as 

 follows: Peaches, 1,479,601; apples, 1,169,730; berries, 792,244; pears, 

 628,485; apricots, 562,811; and all others, 717,144. The number of 

 pounds of fish was: Salmon, 99,831,528; sardines, 90,694,284; oysters, 

 28.192,392 ; and all others, 16,700,509. The total number of pounds 

 of condensed milk was 494,796,544. 



The accompanying table, which shows the time and place of can- 

 ning the principal fruits and vegetables, is not complete, but was 

 made up from the reports of those canners who replied to the series 

 of questions addressed to them. 

 24210 Bull. 15112 3 



