COMMEECIAL CANNHSTG OF FOODS. 



11 



have been tried at different times without entire success, and while the present lining 

 is not perfect, it does effect a marked improvement in many lines of packing. There 

 are fruits and vegetables which attack the tin coating with more or less vigor, result- 

 ing in a loss of color, flavor, and cjiuality, and at the same time form salts of tin which 

 are objectionable. The inside-lacquered cans are especially effective in holding such 

 articles as raspben-ies, cherries, plums, beets, pumpkin, and hominy. They do not 

 add to such products as corn, peas, beans, tomatoes, or those which have little action 

 upon the tin. Inside coating is accomplished in two ways — by baking the lacquer 

 on the sheet and bj' spraying it on the inside of the finished can; further improve- 

 ment in the container may be expected along these lines. 



The tin can is made in a gi'eat variety of sizes and shapes, but there are certain 

 forms known as standard. 



Sizes of standard cans. 



Number of 



Diameter 



Height in 



Capacity in 



can. 



in inches. 



. inches. 



ounces. 



1 



2H 



4 



11.6 



ItaU 



m 



4i 



12.3 



2 



31 



4A 



21.3 



2i 



4 



4i 



31.2 



3 



■lA 



a 



35 



Stall 



■lA 



5* 



39 



8 



6A 



61 



104 



10 



CA 



6A 



107 



The size of package used for certain products is fixed by trade custom and not by 

 the needs of the consumer. For example, corn, peas, beans, and such products are 

 almost exclusively packed in No. 2 cans, tomatoes in No. 3, and California fruits in 

 No. 2J cans. The No. 2 can of high-gi-ade peas or corn contains about 22 ounces, or 

 too much for one service for a family of two, three, or four persons, and with peas in 

 particular the unused portion is not so good when served a second time. A can 

 holding IG ounces would more nearly meet the requirements. The same is true for 

 a No. 3 can of tomatoes. The excess is waste in many cases and represents not only 

 good material but the labor expended upon it, a larger can than is necessary, and 

 boxing and freight. These are all items which contribute to cost and a consequent 

 lessening of the use of canned foods. The No. 2} can was developed as a short weight 

 from the No. 3 and does not adequately represent the interval in size between the 

 No. 2 and the No. 3. The No. 2J sanitary can holds only slightly less than the No. 3 

 in the older style, as the latter can not be fdled so nearly full and sealed. Recently 

 a new style of can has been introduced for California fruits, especially for peaches, 

 known as the luncheon size, which is one-half the lieight of the No. 2J. These are 

 desirable because they will take in the large pieces of fruits and apparently are meet- 

 ing a demand. The same stylo in the square can is being used for asparagus tips. 



At the present time noma packers are trying to meet certain demands by varying 

 the fill rather than the size of the can. For example, a well-filled can of tomatoes 

 might retail at 15 cents, the packer may reduce the quantity, add water, and make 

 the cans hcW two for a quarter, or carry it to an extreme and sell for 10 cents. A cus- 

 ti'incT finding that the 10-cent can will furnish the am(nint of tomato wanted and 

 without woHto will repeat the order. Tlie same methods are used more or less in 

 parking fruit«, using a quantity wliich will make the can sell for a certain price. This 

 in a crude, unsatisfactorj', and manifestly expensive method, and also open to fraud 

 by thoHO who are unfumipulouH. It would be far better for the packer to dcterniino 

 what flizo ifl wanted and use such sizes, (illing tlicin jiroperly. 



