CA.VX/.VCJ AXD 



courageinents as well as the encouragements to be 

 found in this business. In the canning of corn and 

 other vegetables it is largely a matter of complaint 

 that the industr}' is declining, owing, as a rifle, to 

 sharp competition ; but it is certainly worthy of 

 note that where the decline may be traced to this 

 particular source, it is almost \\holly with inferior 

 goods. True, there is strong competition among 

 the manufacturers of superior products, yet the 

 price netted is sufficiently large to give a fair profit. 



The cause has been given as low prices, caused 

 by competition ; yet after careful investigation, we 

 are of the opinion that the real cause is nearer the 

 inferiority of the goods than anything else. As 

 evidence, it may be stated that but little of this in- 

 ferior product of the canning factory is sold, com- 

 pared with the quantities placed on the market. 

 The reason for this is easy to see ; that portion of 

 the consuming public who buy canned goods are 

 heartily tired of eating field corn, unripe tomatoes, 

 field peas, etc., and prefer to pay a higher price for 

 canned goods, or stop using them. This is an en- 

 couraging state of affairs in so far as it sIkjws a 

 knowledge, on the part of the public, of better 

 things, a point of education brought about by the 

 producers of and dealers in superior products. There 

 can be but two endings to this state of affairs, and 

 they are practically the same. Either the people 

 who put this inferior class of goods on the market 

 will be driven out of the business from lack of 

 trade, or they will be compelled to put honest goods 

 upon the market at reasonable prices. Either of 

 these results can but be welcomed by the consumer. 



The evaporating of fruits now demands our at- 

 tention. This industry has not as yet reached the 

 proportions of canning, nor is it likely to, because 

 of the apparent dislike of the public for evaporated 

 fruits. This dislike is perhaps natural, when we 

 consider that the flies found in dried currants are 

 not at all desirable as an article of food. Then, too, 

 most of us know that the quality of fruits which 

 are evaporated is not usually of the best. For ex- 

 ample, large cjuantities of apples which were for- 

 merly considered the lawful prey of the "still" are 

 now evaporated with all their imperfections. 



As noted in a previous paper (page 436, Decem- 

 ber), questions 12 to iS referred exclusively to 

 evaporating. 



12. Do you evaporate fruits ? 



13. Does this process give the grower a better price 

 for his products than any other ? 



14. What is the capacity of, say, a $5,000 evaporat- 

 ing plant ? 



15. Have you tried evaporating or canning on the 



PRESERJYjXG. 105 



co-operative plan, /. making the grower a sharer with 

 \ ou in the profits of the business ? 



16. Has it paid 3-ou 



17. Has it paid the grower ? 



18. Is it mutually satisfactory in every sense ' 



Of these questions the most satisfactory replies 

 were received from Western New York, largely 

 Wayne county, which is widely known for its evap- 

 orating establishments. We say satisfactory, and 

 mean so in the sense of showing intelligence and 

 thoroughly understanding the situation from a com- 

 mercial point of view. 



Richardson Brothers, of E. Williamson, Wayne 

 county New York, cover the questions in a general 

 letter as follows : 



" Our county probably stands at the head in the pro- 

 duction of evaporated raspberries and apples. The 

 proportion of canning factories to evaporating estab- 

 lishments in our county is about one of the former to 

 500 of the latter. 



"It is generally believed, taking one year with 

 another, losses by fire considered (for most insurance 

 companies refuse risks on e\ aporators),'--" that there is 

 little or no profit in the business of evaporating apples, 

 as the season is short and expenses of running extreme- 

 ly hea\-y ; it requires no less than So or go hands to pro- 

 duce 500 bushels of evaporated apples per day. 



"In this county the producer generally converts his 

 green apples into evaporated stock. 



Many of the evaporators who answered the pre- 

 ceding questions also touched upon those already 

 given in previous papers, and in every case took 

 similar positions to those already cited. The re- 

 plies as a whole are as satisfactory to the position 

 we have taken on the subject, as were those from 

 the canners. They write us that with the possible 

 exception of canning, evaporating pays the grower 

 better prices for his products than any other method 

 of disposing of them. The average estimate of 

 the capacity of an evaporating plant of ,$5,000 value 

 is Soo bushels in 24 hours. Several have tried the 

 co-operative plan, and in all cases it has paid both 

 them and the grower, the combination being ex- 

 tremely satisfactory in every sense. 



It will be understood that these cases are not 

 offered as evidence of the value or desirability of 

 partnerships of this sort : for, while it so happens 

 they have been satisfactory in the cases cited, it is 

 by no means invariably so. 



A modiiication of the partnership plan is fre- 

 quently successfully carried out in districts where 



*Here is a point worthy of the tlioiightful consideration of those 

 who contemplate engaging in evaporating fruits on a large scale. 

 They must be prepared with an abundance of capital to take the 

 risks of fire which, as insurance companies refuse to issue policies, 

 must be great. — Editor American Garden. 



