METHODS OF FRUIT PRESERVING 



593 



" The reason some people have poor success in keeping their fruit well may 

 be found in the improper care of the jars. Always wash and scald the jars and 

 caps as soon as they are emptied, and dry the caps, right side up, on the stove. 

 Turn the jar bottom up until thoroughly dry, then put the same cap on the 

 same jar; then when needed they are rinsed with some clear water, and they 

 are ready for use. In buying, select jars which have glass tops, as they can be 

 used again and cannot be acted upon by the fruit acids, while the soft metal 

 tops are likely to get bent in so that they will not fit closely. It is best to get 

 new rubber rings for the jars each year, although old ones may be cleaned by 

 washing in quite strong ammonia water, and by dipping in the white of egg- 

 before using they will sometimes keep successfully. 



" The most important point is to have the jars and cans perfectly air-tight, 

 and the tin cans should have wax pressed closely into the grooves, and more 

 wax added until the crevice is full ; and you must depend on good rubbers for 

 the glass jars. Test each jar by filling half full of water, properly adjust and 

 fasten the top, and invert for half an hour. If an}- water leaks out the jar is 

 imperfect. A good plan is to gather the old jars together and make one task of 

 cleaning them. First rinse them, then put them in a boiler with water to cover 

 them and add enough pearline to make strong suds, then allow them to boil 

 twenty minutes. Cans that have become discoloured and sour cannot be 

 sufficiently cleaned by mere washing, and the boiling process is not only the 

 best, but the quickest and easiest way to clean the jars, and after rinsing and 

 draining them you will find them perfectly clear and bright." 



The great difficulty is that in many districts the fruit and vegetable resources 

 of some splendid little patch of soil lie dormant because no one in the family 

 has any special knowledge of either growing the crops or of converting them 

 into marketable shape. Perhaps in time to come there may be provided 

 facilities for the acquirement of such information through the medium of central 

 and local classes for women and girls in practical fruit and vegetable growing 

 and in preserving or otherwise converting the produce into a commercial article, 

 or perhaps there may be expert demonstrators who could — as the travelling 

 dairy instructors years ago did —visit centres for a week or a fortnight's series 

 of practical demonstration in the various branches of the work, the produce 

 handled being provided by the students, and the land used in tillage lessons by 

 some one whose place is easily accessible. Naturally, from a commercial point 

 of view, such an industry would be more successful if considerable capital were 

 expended upon a large proprietary or co-operative factory, but it is worth 

 remembering that in a young country things have to grow. The American 

 canning industry, which is responsible for the output of sufficient tinned vege- 

 tables, fruits, and other small farm products to provide about 40 lb. of such 

 commodities per annum for every man, woman, and child comprising the 

 seventy millions of the United States, is the growth of thirty years, and it has 

 been built up practically from nothing. 



To show how such an industry spreads itself over the year, and how mam 7 

 avenues of choice of crop it affords, the following calendar of Californian canning 

 operations compiled by a writer in the "Californian Fruit Grower," who has 

 had the work under observation for a great many years, may be of interest (the 

 seasons in California are practically the inverse of ours) : — "Asparagus packing 

 begins April 1 and lasts until June 12 ; Strawberries, from May 1 to October 23 ; 

 Peas, May 13 to June 21 ; Red and White Cherries, May 29 to July 2 ; Currants 

 June 6 to 28 ; String Beans, from June 13 to December 1 ; Blackberries. 

 June 19 to September 11 ; Apricots, June 21 to August 25 ; Greengage Plums, 

 July 19 to September 18 ; Egg Plums, July 20 to September 23 ; White 

 Free-stone Peaches, July 22 to October 15 ; Yellow Free-stone Peaches, 

 July 23 to October 17 ; Nectarines, July 25 to September 6 ; Pears, July 25 to 



