THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



635 



The F. Stevens & Co. Fruit Canning Syndicate, 



By Frederick Stevens. 



THE canning business of F. Stevens, 

 Scottsfontein, Higlilands Station, had 

 its origin in the experimental canning of 

 fruit from Mr. Stevens' own orchards in 

 '96 and '97, chiefly for home consumption. 

 Some of it found its way amongst neigh- 

 bours, and seemed to be so much appre- 

 ciated that Mr. Stevens decided the fol- 

 lowing year to put up a larger quantitj' 

 and offer some for sale. 



The quantity offered for sale in '9iS-'99 

 was 5,500 3-lb. tins, the whole of which 

 was sold out within four months. The 

 cooking apparatus used was made locally 

 from Mr. Stevens' own design the linis 

 were made in Durban and the labels 

 printed there. The box sections were 

 imported from America. 



The following season a much larger 

 output was intended, and preparations 

 made accordingly. Additional boilers 

 were ordered locally, and machinery for 

 making the tins ordered from England. 

 It was decided to make Estcourt the 

 manufacturing centre, and suitable pre- 

 mises were leased there. 



At the time of the Boer invasion every- 

 thing was in a forward state for com- 

 mencing opei'ations. The tin plates, box 

 sections, and other raw material were 

 already stored in the premises, and the 

 machinery was on rail at the station wait- 

 ing to be off-loaded. Whatever chance 

 there might have been of successfully 

 carrying on operations at Estcourt that 

 season— andas eventsproved subsequently 

 the Boer invasion would not have pre- 

 vented it— the military authorities nipped 

 it in the bud by commandeering the 

 premises for rhe use of the officers' mess 

 of the Dublin Fusiliers. As soon as the 

 Boers retired to the 'I ugela the machinery 

 and material were removed to Mr. Stevens' 

 farm Scottsfontein, 13 miles from High- 

 lands, and an attempt was made to snatch 

 what remained of the fruit season. 



The output for '99-1900 was 21,000 lbs. 

 of canned fruit, which was disposed of in 

 four months. 



The following season, 1900-'0i, was a 

 record bad one for fruit, and the output 



was 13,000 3-lb. tins, whereas preparations 

 had been made to fill 30,000 tins. This 

 does not mean that there was not suffi- 

 cient fruit available, but that the crops 

 bespoken fell short of the estimate, 

 although a handsome margin had been 

 allowed. 



Mr. Stevens has now associated with 

 him a few of the leading Durban and 

 Maritzburg business men, who have 

 guaranteed sufficient working capital to 

 enlarge the industry to the full extent of 

 its capabilities, and the business is now 

 being carried on ttnder the style of 

 F. Stevens & Company. 



Mr. Stevens has a fairly extensive 

 orchard, planted mainly with varieties of 

 fruit suitable for canning. Next year 

 there will be nearly 2,000 trees in bear- 

 ing, and a further 4,000 in four years' 

 time. These orchards will serve as a 

 backbone to the industry, but in view of 

 the large annual output anticipated, much 

 of the fruit manufactured will have to be 

 ptirchased. 



Tomato canning, which has been suc- 

 cessfully tried at Scottsfontein, will be a 

 prominent feature of the industry, and 

 sweet corn and vegetables will shortly be 

 included. 



During the present season arrangements 

 have been made with a Noodsberg wattle 

 grower for a supply of box sections, and 

 nothing now will be imported for the 

 business beyond the tin plates, solder, 

 and nails. 



In the putting up of the canned goods 

 nothing but the best grade of fntit, etc., 

 is used, and every precatition is taken to 

 ensure its arriving at the factory in as 

 perfect a condition as possible. The cook- 

 ing is done by what is know as the open- 

 bath process. With fruit canning, as in 

 jam making, each manufacttirer has some 

 wrinkles of his own which are not given 

 away, and there are several processes and 

 variations of processes. However Mr. 

 Stevens' process may differ from others, 

 it ensures a maximum of cleanliness in 

 every detail, and the full preservation of 

 the flavour of the fruit. 



