VEGETAHi 43 



mine t<> M boil. The berries and their sirup are then filled into the 

 cans. 



Strawberries do not admit of being handled by automatic machin- 

 ery. The stemming must be done by hand, but in the plate system 

 they ;uv not touched after once being washed. In the system in 

 which considerable dependence is placed upon the fruit washer the 

 cleaning is well done, and in a manner not to injure -or break the 

 fruit. Cans which arc well filled with cold fruit will not be full of 

 fruit after processing. The heat causes the breaking down of the 

 ti>>ue and consequent loss of juice, so that the berries will float. 

 Berries heated with sugar in the preserve kettle will give a better fill 

 in the can, as more juice is cooked out than can be returned to fill 

 the space between the solids. In this practice there is a distinct 

 difference between the manufacturer who attempts to give a can 

 with the maximum of food solids and the one who cooks the berries 

 to abstract the juice for other use, such as fruit sirups for soft 

 drinks. A sirup should be used in all cans, as it holds the flavor much 

 better than water. Sugar is always used with such fruit, and the 

 proper time for its application is when it is being cooked. The 

 degree or density of the sirup is a matter of taste, but preferably it 

 should be fairly heavy. The enamel-lined can is decidedly the best 

 for preserving flavor and color, and also for resisting the action of 

 the fruit on the can. Strawberries are also put up in glass and 

 given the same general treatment. 



VEGETABLES. 



ASPARAGUS (ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS). 



Almost the entire asparagus pack of the United States is put up 

 in California. The asparagus beds are located on the bottom-lands 

 which have been reclaimed from the Sacramento and San Joaquin 

 Rivers and are exceedingly rich. Dykes have been constructed, canals 

 dug, and pumping machinery installed, so that it is possible for the 

 growers to control the conditions to such a degree as to produce 

 enormous yields of a very high quality. The advantage is so great 

 that other points can not compete successfully. 



The asparagus is grown in large fields in rows, and in the fall 

 the plants are cut, the tops acting as a mulch. The earth is banked 

 over the rows to the depth of a foot or more. In the spring the 

 stalks come through this light soil and mulch and are practically 

 bleached. They are cut every day or every other day, the stalks 

 l>eing selected just as they appear through the ground. The work 

 of cutting must all be done by hand by means of a long chisel-like 

 knife, and is very laborious. /The object is to cut the stalk back 7 

 inches or more. The asparagus is collected in hampers or crates and 



