SANITARY CONTROL OF TOMATO-CANNING FACTORIES. 11 
rinsing after sorting, even though the principal washing has been 
done before sorting. 
SORTING SYSTEMS. 
The various sorting systems in operation may be designated as 
(a) table, (0) simple apron, and (c) divided apron. These systems 
are not kept entirely distinct, however, but frequently overlap in one 
particular or another. 
(a) In the typical table system the tomatoes are dumped upon a 
stationary table or sorted directly from the crate or basket. The 
tomatoes are picked out by the sorters who are stationed around the 
table, and after being examined are tossed into suitable containers, 
from which they are emptied from time to time into the washers. 
The decayed tomatoes or parts thereof are removed and rejected. 
One advantage of this system is that by examining the sorted stock 
in each container the efficiency of the individual sorters can be de- 
termined more readily than by any of the other systems. As a rule 
it is a fairly effective system, but usually is more expensive than any 
of the others. ; 
(6) In the simple apron conveyor system the tomatoes are placed 
upon a slowly moving, horizontal apron which carries them along 
in front of the sorters, who are supposed to remove all tomatoes that 
are entirely or partially decayed. Those not picked out constitute 
the stock finally used in the manufacturing process. By this system 
the tomatoes theoretically are subjected to as many inspections as 
there are sorters to the apron. With good sorters and where proper 
conditions of feed, rate of movement, and hghting are maintained this 
is practically true, but emphasis must be laid upon the observance of 
these details if satisfactory results are to be attained. 
Under normal conditions, where proper attention is given to details 
of feeding and lighting, the apron conveyor system has been found 
to yield as good results as any that has been devised. This is true 
for two reasons. In the first place, only those tomatoes that have 
decayed parts need to be picked up and taken out. During the last 
two seasons more than 100 tests were made on the unsorted stock in 
about 30 different factories in various parts of the tomato-producing 
sections east of the Mississippi River. These tests have shown that 
from 0.4 per cent to 81 per cent by number of the tomatoes were 
decayed, in whole ar in part, to such an extent as to require trimming 
or total rejection. The average by number was about 25 per cent. 
This means that in an average bushel! of tomatoes 58 must be re- 
moved and rejected either in whole or in part. 
The second advantage of this system is that if one of the sorters is 
inexperienced or becomes a little lax in the work the fault is more 
1 The average number of tomatoes per bushel as determined by 174 tests made in 1916 
was 229, 
