CANNING AND PRESERVING. 



19 



who places the best goods on the market at a fair 

 price that soon towers above his competitors ? This 

 needs no argument. Our correspondents among the 

 canners and preservers seem to understand this 

 thoroughly, for scarcely without exception, in reply 

 to our question, " Would the production of a supe- 

 rior quality of fruits and vegetables enable you to 

 pay a pi-ice sufficiently in advance of the present 

 one to warrant the grower in making the effort ?" 

 they have emphasized their affirmative reply. 



As an additional support to the position taken in 

 favor of the production of better fruits and vegeta- 

 bles, we may say that the commercial standing of 

 the establishments with whom we have corresponded 

 and whose prices to the producer were highest, rank 

 better than some of the others. This may be chance 

 to some extent, but when we look further into the 

 matter and find that the goods these people put on 

 the market are of superior quality, is it not reason- 

 able to presume that at least some portion of their 

 financial standing is due to the quality of their goods ? 



Canning, preserving and evaporating requires cap- 

 ital, suitable location, and a knowledge of the work, 

 to successfully carry on the business. A "plant" 

 which is complete and of such a nature that it can 

 capably handle the products brought to it, no mat- 

 ter what quantities within reason, must of necessity 

 be large and expensive. 



Take for example the canning factory of E. C. 

 Hazard & Co., of which we made mention in our 

 first paper ; the average number of people employed 

 at this establishment is from 160 to 175, and, from 

 what was given us as the average wages of a young 

 woman of 18, we should judge that $8 a week per 

 person was a fair average of the price paid for labor. 

 Then there are the various pieces of machinery, 

 many of them imported and, from their peculiar 

 construction, expensive. To these large items we 

 may add the thousand and one smaller expenses. 

 In this connection it must also be remembered that 

 having contracted for the products from a stated 

 area, these manufacturers are bound to abide by 

 their side of the contract, provided the other party 

 thereto carries out his agreement. 



These facts are but to show that the business re- 

 quires capital in no mean proportion, and that con- 

 sidering the expenses they are under the price paid 

 the producer is a fair one ; and yet, as has been 

 noted, almost without exception these men are will- 

 ing to pay a higher price for a better article. 



Under these circumstances we feel warranted in 

 holding to the opinion expressed, that under ordi- 

 nary conditions, with the average market on the one 

 hand, and the canner, preserver or evaporator on 



the other, the chances for profit to the grower are 

 greater by growing for these establishments than 

 in taking the risks of the ordinary markets. 



One of our correspondents writes that contracts 

 are frequently made which allow the grower to dis- 

 pose of the first of his crops at the regular markets 

 while the prices are higher than the contract price 

 with the manufacturer. We do not know whether 

 this may be called a concession on the part of the 

 canner ; it may be that at the proper time for tak- 

 ing the earlier crops his establishment cannot han- 

 dle them, or, circumstances may be such that in 

 order to make any arrangement with the producer 

 he must make the stipulation noted above. 



It is interesting to note the replies given by var- 

 ious correspondents to questions 4 and 5 : 



4. What advantages, if any, accrue to the grower by 

 reason of the location of your establishment in his vi- 

 cinity ? 



5. Does he appreciate these advantages ? 

 Here are a few of the replies : 



4. They enable him to find a ready market at home 

 for a quality of fruit that used to go to the cider mill for 

 a few cents, but now brings a paying price. 



5. No. 



4. They save transportation charges, commissions 

 and do away with the damage to crate, etc. 



5. Some do. 



4. Short haul and sure markets for all grades. 

 5- No. 



4. Convenience of a new market and the consequent 

 saving of transportation charges. 



5. Yes. 



4. 25 to 50 per cent, increase in the net profit to the 

 grower. 



5. Doubtful. 



4. They have the benefit of the varied experiences of 

 the canner, keep better posted, take more horticultural 

 and agricultural papers and are a more live set of men 

 than in other districts. 



5. As a rule they do not. 



It is well to explain that these correspondents are 

 from different sections of the country ; some of them 

 are located with their buildings in regions remote 

 from good markets, and therefore the advantages to 

 the grower are greater than in other localities. 



This subject has been treated in detail so far as 

 it is connected with the manufacturers ; we have 

 tried to handle the question impartially. In a fu- 

 ture paper, we propose to continue this subject, 

 taking the grower's side of the question. We invite 

 the readers who are interested in the subject in any 

 way, and especially if their experience does not co- 

 incide with what has already been written, to send 

 us a brief letter of facts in this connection. 



[to be continued.] 



