CaNNING ON THE FARM 1265 
a person with ordinary intelligence can many times pick up 
about the farm articles enought to make a fair homemade outfit 
which, although not quite so convenient, will do as good work — so 
far as quality of product is concerned —as any of the highest 
priced commercial outfits. Quality of product in canning de- 
pends more upon the man in charge of the outfit than upon per- 
fection of machinery employed in the various operations. 
It probably will be necessary on the ordinary farm to pur- 
chase the capping steel and the tipping copper, total cost $2.50. 
The natural ingenuity of the farmer will suggest the rest. What- 
ever outfit is secured, homemade or commercial, the idea of 
cleanliness should be paramount. 
CLEANLINESS AND BETTER DISTRIBUTION 
The keynote for the owner of the farm cannery should be 
‘improvement of quality of product.” Make “quality” the 
motto, and increase of demand and output is sure to follow. As 
soon as a person learns the business and its possibilities he will 
not be satisfied until he has an up-to-date cannery with all the 
improved sanitary machinery. The method of preparation and 
process for tomatoes applies practically to all fruits and vege- 
tables with the exception that the cook or process for the fruits 
varies somewhat, being twenty minutes for pears, fifteen for 
apples and about the same time for berries. 
Other vegetables require a longer time than tomatoes and some 
of them need a higher temperature than boiling water, which 
high temperature can be obtained only by using closed top pres- 
sure kettles. 
The state experimental stations or the U. S. Department of 
Agriculture will furnish full information regarding the canning 
of any special crops, on request. 
The demand for the so-called specialties — spinach, string 
beans, beets, sauerkraut, also rhubarb and apples in gallon cans for 
pies —is rapidly increasing and are articles which the home 
canner can try to advantage. It is not necessary that a person own 
a canner of great capacity or that he run it all through the season to 
have it show a profit. A home canner, even though it may stand 
absolutely idle during the entire season, many times will show a 
