1911. 
97 
FACTS ABOUT CANNING FACTORIES. 
One of our readers in Ohio wants to get 
some yield and price for crops grown for 
a canning factory, that is for most vege¬ 
tables. They are thinking of building a 
factory in his Ohio neighborhood, and it 
will be necessary to show people the facts 
of a profit before they can head the list. 
It would include corn, tomatoes, peas and 
possibly sauerkraut and cucumber pickles. 
What would be the minimum number of 
acres that can be made profitable, and the 
price and yields which farmers might rea¬ 
sonably expect of such crops? 
I cannot give you much help on so 
general a proposition for starting a 
canning factory. The cost of labor, fer¬ 
tility of the land and the selling price 
of the canned goods in the local market 
are factors of prime importance in de¬ 
termining profit. Ordinarily there seems 
to be more money in canning tomatoes 
than any other crop mentioned. A man 
with some experience can grow on a 
suitable soil as high as 200 to 300 
bushels per acre. They usually sell 
for about 25 cents per bushel at the 
canning factory. One bushel fills about 
18 three-pound cans. These will sell 
for about 8 1-3 cents per can, if ma¬ 
chine packed. If hand packed and sold 
in the local market as much as 10 cents 
per can is obtained. Stowell’s Evergreen 
sweet corn will yield nearly as much as 
ordinary field corn per acre. The ears 
are snapped off the stalk and sold at 
the factory by the ton at the price of 
something like $10. The stalks in the 
field make excellent stover, or may be 
used for silage. I have had no experi¬ 
ence with peas, nor with pickles; cu¬ 
cumbers are easily grown and are re¬ 
ported to pay well. Sauerkraut is very 
easily made, and there ought to be a 
good profit in it when it sells at two 
or three cents above the price of cab¬ 
bage, In general I would state that 
these co-operative canning factories are 
difficult to start and make successful. 
Lack of experience and business capac¬ 
ity usually cause them to fail. I prefer 
to encourage the individual canning fac¬ 
tory and increase the capacity as the ex¬ 
perience grows. In this way I helped to 
put the canning business on a sound 
basis in another State where co-opera¬ 
tive canning factories were idle and 
rusting down. r. h. price. 
Virginia. 
THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
Strychnine for Killing Skunks. 
F. C. G., Bridgton, Me .—I would like to 
know if arsenic or strychnine will poison 
skunks. I have tried both, using quantities 
that have been effectual witli cats with¬ 
out success, and we finally wore obliged 
to use a shot gun. 
Ans.— Arsenic under all circumstances 
is a slow and uncertain poison, and is 
never to be absolutely relied on. There 
is no doubt, however, that sulphate of 
strychnia, if of good quality, is fatal to 
skunks. I have known it to be used 
on a number of occasions and always 
with success. In the country, however, 
it is easier to obtain strychnine of an 
inferior grade than the pure article, and 
it is possible that your correspondent 
failed, owing to the use of a heavily 
adulterated article. 
H. W. HENSHAW. 
Chief Biological Survey. 
Hen Manure Mixtures for Garden. 
I am a poultry raiser and gardener and 
have a quantity of hen manure mixed with 
coal ashes which I sift on droppings board. 
I had thought of mixing burnt lime, land 
plaster and hen manure as a fertilizer for 
garden crops, melons, corn, peas, tomatoes, 
etc. Would it be a safe mixture for 
gravel soil? If not please advise me of a 
desirable, combination. We get good results 
from plaster on our soil in Onondaga. 
Would equal parts of burnt lime and plaster 
be of any value as a top-dressing for Al¬ 
falfa? if so, how much per acre? 
NPW Y ° rk - E.R.W. 
This is explained in “The Business Hen.” 
Never use burnt lime with hen manure, 
ilaster or coal ashes will answer, but as 
>e irst principle of manuring, keep burnt 
me away from hen droppings. The drv 
manure can be crushed and used as it is, 
mixed with gravel lime, acid phosphate and 
potash to make a fertilizer. You should 
e burnt lime alone on the Alfalfa, without 
plaster—one ton to the acre. 
Cow Peas and Clover. 
1 . Ilow many bushels of cow peas and 
clover ought to be used to the acre on a 
worn-out sandy soil? 2. What time of year 
should pine trees be set out? T. f. d. 
Schenectady, N. Y. 
1. The usual plan is to sow live pecks of 
cow peas broadcast or three pecks in drills. 
You are too far north for them to do their 
best. The average seeding of Crimson 
clover is 12 pounds to the acre; of Bed 
about six pounds. None of the clovers 
are well suited to grow on poor land. 2. 
Early Spring. The roots must never be 
allowed to dry out; between digging and 
planting protect them in a puddle of loam 
and water. 
Petroleum Cement.— The use of petro¬ 
leum in mixing cement, page 1,108, recalls 
the old custom of mixing mortar with ale 
where extra strength was desired—no 
doubt an eminently safe way of using 
strong ale. We are told that during the 
‘ great frost of 1G07, the “Building 
Countess” of Shrewsbury, “Bess of Hard¬ 
wick, who had been told by a soothsayer 
that her life would last as long as she 
continued to build, set masons to work 
with hot ale to mix the mortar, but the 
cold conquered, and the old lady did not 
survive, though monuments to her build¬ 
ing ability still stand in England. 
Business in Ferns. —As evidence of the 
u ay new hues of business are developing 
in the country the following item from a 
Vermont paper is given : 
“More than 820,000 has been paid out 
during the months of September, October 
and the first half of November to gather¬ 
ers of wild ferns in the four Bennington 
County towns of Woodford, Stamford, 
Searsburg and Readsboro. In this sum is 
not included the outlay for packing and 
hauling, but it comprises the actual wages 
of the pickers. It involves a mathematical 
problem that is easily solved, for the pick¬ 
ers were paid by the piece, four cents a 
100 , and as there have been over 50,000,000 
ferns shipped out of the mountains this 
season, the sum total is easily reached. 
All of 25,000,000 were sent out from the 
freight house of the Rutland Railroad in 
Bennington, and the shipments from the 
other side of the mountain by the way of 
North Adams, Mass., have been even 
•W*- The pickers are paid four cents a 
100 for the ferns tied in bundles of 25 
each, borne of the experts during the pres- 
'•nt season have at that rate earned be¬ 
tween .$7 and $8 in a single day. The 
ferns were shipped from the station in this 
village either in crates or baskets, the lat¬ 
ter method being used by the Greek firms 
m Now York. Brague & Son shipped one 
car load as far west as Denver, Colo. 
During the past two years the industry 
has grown to such an extent that the lum¬ 
ber companies that control the mountain 
and on which the ferns are gathered now 
lease the picking privileges instead of 
permitting free access to the propertv as 
was formerly the case." 
Without 
a Gook? 
Never mind you can have 
a good breakfast if there’s a 
package of 
Post 
Toasties 
in the house. 
This delicious food, ready 
to serve without cooking, is 
always welcome and makes 
Breakfast 
a Delight 
“The Memory Lingers” 
Postum Cereal Company, Ltd., 
Battle Creek, Mich. 
Monarch 
Hydraulic 
Cider Press 
Great strength and ca¬ 
pacity; all sizes; also 
gasoline engines, 
steam engines, 
sawmills, thresh. 
» . ” ““ ers. Catalog free 
Monarch Machinery Co* 609 Cortlandt Bldg.. New Yorli 
We Do More Than Guarantee 
This Great Farmers Motor Car To You 
S O wonderful is the great value in the Abbott-Detroit, so firmly are we 
convinced of its ability to outlive the toughest conditions, so complete is 
our belief that no other car in the world is so well suited to the farmer 
because of type, strength and price, that we are willing to outdo all others in 
protecting our owners, in spending thousands of dollars, that others keep as profits, for giving 
regular instruction and maintenance service to all who purchase the Abbott-Detroit. 
When you get your Abbott-Detroit you will not only have the best motor car in the 
world at the price but you will have behind you a great organization of experts whose idea 
is permanence and not immediate profit and who will see to it that your Abbott-Detroit is in 
nrst-class condition all the time. 
This Remarkable “Pedigreed” 
ff bbofr fl efroit 
Really Does Not Need A Guarantee It’s So Strong 
Every Abbott-Detroit turned out of our fac¬ 
tory is so perfect, so absolutely a unit in con¬ 
struction and so powerful right down to tiie last 
nut aud screw that you can drive it over the 
worst roads aud it will never give a sign of any¬ 
thing but magnificent balance and standardiza¬ 
tion. That’s why you have hardly any repair 
charges and the cost of running this car is way 
down to bed rock. It is easy to operate, easy to 
keep in good running condition, easy to keep 
looking like a brand new car. It requires little 
money and little attention for anything. 
There are many other cars listed at $1500 but 
by the time you have paid for all the extras you 
have expended up to $2000. The Abbott-Detroit 
at $1500 includes everything but top and wind¬ 
shield. It includes a complete electric light 
equipment of two electric headlights and com¬ 
bination electric and oil side aud rear lamps 
aud Bosch High Tension or Splitdorf dual igni¬ 
tion system. 
Continually bear in mind that the Abbott- 
Detroit has many features heretofore found only 
in motor cars selling: up to $4000. 
Write for the Book of the Abbott-Detroit in 
which we tell you everything about the car and 
what we do tor you after you buy it. Let us give 
you a letter of introduction to your local dealer 
so that you can see the car itself. Drop us a 
postal now before our supply of books runs out 
Abbott Motor Co. 
126 Waterloo St 
Detroit, Mich. 
CAHOON 
Saves buying expensive drills. Most 
k perfect broadcast sower for all grain 
r and grass seed. Accurate, simple, 
I durable. Made of steel, iron and brass. Lasts a life time. 
. *>avea time, saves seed and gives bigger crons 
Highest priced sower made, but pays for itself many times yearly If 
™r r pWfiL C ri 0 *, y , 0 "' we win deliver the Cahoon to any 
?3ESi S s fflce e , a « of the ,Mississippi River on receipt of $i. Send for 
I esr s eed°Tt”7 I ree n . ,,ttl; te “ S how to producc blggeV cr^wlth 
G00DELL CO.. 14 Main St,, Antrim. New Hampshire 
HARVEY BOLSTER SPRINGS 
.Soon save their cost. Make crerywagon a spring 
jj wngon, therefore iruit, vegetables, eggs, etc.. 
[I bring more money. Aslc lor special proposition. 
HlUnrey Spring Co., U«- 17th SC, Racine, \1U. 
GUARANTEED 
COOK YOUR FEED and SAVE 
Half the Cost—with the 
profit farm boiler 
\v 1th Dumping Caldron. Empties 
its kettle in one minute. The simpleat 
aud best arrangement for cooking 
food for stock. A Iso make Dairv ana 
l.nilmlpv Ufavoo Ilf.. A-_ J J 
lit VMl At A DllftiCtC. i T7 Q0H(J 
for particulars and ask for circular* I 
1>. R. SPERRY & (JO.* Rutuvia, LU* 
.Yours FREE 30 Days 
r . f F*ay Freight Anywhere 
Just let me send my Chatham Fanning Mill to your 
R. R. Station on n month’s trial. No nionev no 
contract and I pay the freight. Return at Sy t >v 
penso or keep it and take a year to pay me. Just ?et 
me prove the mo ney you can make with a 
CHATHAM SSfcffi 
^** aI l sa , n d gradesail kinds of seeds, grasses and grains. Don’t 
grow weeds or thin stands. Land and taxes are too high. Double 
Doltei !» !‘^ e ‘ ter f cr ° psan d have high-priced scedjo sell. Send 
1 BOOK No ioa -.' n n u 0 ’ ll , , < :' ral terlns - aIld get FREE 
!? 4 - T e ,ls how thousands are making big, 
C V f p ro *i*s W| th a Chatham. Send your name by next mail 
Address Manson Campbell, Pres., * 
- — Detroit, 
No Money Down 
No Note 
No Contract 
- wwa mu 
MANSON 
» r.. Wl4 vHmrotu uu*. Detroit. Mich 
Kansas City, Mo.; St. Paul, Minn.; Seattle, Wash. 
— ns and Riddles • 
Enough for Every Purpos# 
A “ 2 “ L ! TT f E . R CAR8IEB Ranges barn drudgery into child’s play. 
I «'£SS?ra» 1 fiffSL.' 
[ load autom«ticall™and returns toyo u P ’ Wherever 7°° want dumps 
The Louden Way 
Keeps barns clean and sanitary-Keeps cows healthy-they will virr 
ut cher mi k ’ Saves lime • Iabor and money. A Louden Latter] J 
barrier will save its cost many times in a year. 11 
Loudens special electro-galvanizing process gives all Louden nrn 
ducts a beautiful. lasting finish. Looks clean-elsy to keep clean- 
never rusts lasts much longer than ordinary hot process galvanizing 
““thedeaw' fe Jc^V^r'leT. M°U^ 
and va 1 u'ab l^bookVn manure valuta t0niI, ' Ut ° Catal ° g ° f ba ™ ^uipment 
LOUDEN MACHINERY CO.', m Broadway. Fairfield, Iowa. 
