28 



BULLETIlSr 410, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



CANNING ON THE FAKM. 



Canning is an important means of preserving and storing fruits and 

 vegetables on the farm for future use. The average number of quart 

 cans ''put up" per family for the farms visited (Table XX) was 122 

 of fruit and 32 of vegetables, making a total of 154 quart cans. The 

 most cannuig was done in the New Jersey area, the average family 

 here "putting up " 172 quarts of fruit and 58 quarts of vegetables, or a 

 total of 230 quart cans. 



Not many vegetables are canned on the farm. The most common 

 vegetable used for this purpose is the tomato. Canned peas and corn 

 used on the farm table are usually bought. This is probably due to 

 the fact that efficient canning methods for handling vegetables are not 

 known to many housekeepers. 



The most common fruits used for home canning are peaches and 

 berries. Many farmers buy peaches for canning purposes, but 

 peaches are not generally bought for immediate use unless the price 

 happens to be unusually low. An increase in the variety and quan- 

 tity of home-grown fruit would greatly increase the consumption of 

 fresh fruit on the farm and encourage canning for winter consumption. 



A knowledge of better methods of caiming, insuring better keeping 

 quaUties and greater ease of performing the work, would no doubt 

 increase canning on the farm to good advantage, particularly in the 

 case of vegetables. Housekeepers generally realize that it is cheaper 

 to can home-grown products than it is to buy them and also insures 

 better quality, but with the old method the many hours of extra labor 

 before a hot stove is a big discouraging factor. 



Table XX. — Average number of quart cans "put up" on the farm. 





Fruit. 



Vegetables. 



Total. 



County and State. 



Per 

 family. 



Per 

 person. 



Per Per 

 family. person. 



Per 

 family. 



Per 

 person. 





172 



62 



105 



149 



37 

 14 

 17 

 30 



58 

 21 

 28 

 20 



12 

 5 

 5 

 4 



230 

 83 

 133 

 169 



49 





19 



Cass N DaTj 



22 





34 











122 



24 



32 6 



154 



31 











STORAGE OF FOOD ON THE FARM. 



The farm is not only a source of food products, but it also serves 

 as an ample place of storage. It is not possible to have fresh vege- 

 tables and fruits on hand every day, as it is eggs and milk. In order, 

 then, to have vegetables and fruits from the farm at times other than 

 the short period during which they are in season, some means of 

 storage is necessary. Cellars, caves, pits, and basements in bams 



