244 The Fruit-Growers Guide-Book 



Home Outfits Are Simple 



The canning machinery which is'on the market for the 

 use of farmers and persons who expect to pack only a 

 small amount of produce are very simple. They consist 

 of a heating device, usually a sheet iron stove or furnace, 

 on which is a tank of water. Into this tank is immersed 

 a frame-like affair holding the filled cans during the cook- 

 ing process. Such simple outfits as these can be purchased 

 for amounts as low as $10, while twice that amount will 

 buy a very good outfit for canning on a small commercial 

 basis. 



Accessories 



In addition to a means of cooking, or processing the 

 produce, there are a few small tools which will be needed, 

 especially if the canning is done in ordinary tins. These 

 are a capping iron, which is a curved piece of iron for 

 soldering the cap on the cans; and a tipping copper for 

 soldering up the hole in the cap which is left for the escape 

 of the air while the cans are being exhausted. There will 

 need to be a supply of sal amoniac and soldering fluid, to 

 make it possible to solder the cans. The sal amoniac can 

 be bought of the druggist, while the soldering fluid can be 

 made at home by dissolving in muriatic acid all of the zinc 

 it will take. 



Definitions 



Capping is a term applied to the operation of soldering 

 the cap onto the can. The cap is a little circular piece of 

 tin rimmed with solder which fits over the hole in the top^ 

 of the can. In capping, the rim of the can into which the 

 cap fits must be absolutely clean and dry. The contents 

 of the can must not be closer than a quarter of an inch of 

 the top, as the cap must not be soldered on if the contents 

 touch the lid. Put the cap in place and brush a little of 

 the soldering fluid around the edge. When the capping 

 copper is passed around the cap the solder around its edge 

 will be melted and secure it to the can. 



Tipping consists in closing the little hole in the center 

 of the cap. This is done with the tipping copper, and the 



