price, fine quality of fruit from California, and low priced, ordinary or common quality from the Atlantic coast. Therefore, it can be reckoned that a man who proposes to can fruit in California should devote himself to only high-grade goods and not try to compete with the standard, seconds and pies of the Eastern section, as railway tariffs will keep him out of the populous market. The ultimate opening of the Panama Canal may change this condition materially, and permit California to supply immense amounts of "pie" peaches to the Eastern market, a consideration of doubtful benefit to California. SMALL FRUITS. Pears and plums furnish a considerable item in the annual pack of fruits, but they are only minor factors in the fruit line, though the demand is increasing. It is strange to say that common pears are becoming so plentiful throughout the United States that there is seldom money in packing them, but Bartlett pears are never in sufficient supply, and are always an article worthy of consideration, and may be depended upon to pay well if canned as a fine, high-class product. Small fruits of all kinds hold a peculiar position in the canning industry. Twenty-five years ago there used to be a great public demand for them every year as canned fruit, but there came a wave of lack of appreciation over the people, and demand for them almost died out. California still furnishes the world with a considerable quantity of the better class, and strawberries and raspberries in heavy syrup as high-class goods are more in request of the better people and the hotels, and are being more largely packed wherever grown. Washington State, particularly in the vicinity of the Puyallup Valley, has come strongly to the front in recent years as a grower of raspberries, blackberries, and Loganberries, the latter one of the famous Burbank creations, and which gained almost instant public approval because of the size and fine, distinctive flavor. What is true of these goods is also true of cherries, and the decadence in the packing of cherries has been due more to the result of rain on the crop in season and the consequent loss of dependence upon this fruit in season. In any section where cherries can be depended upon as an annual crop, it will pay to can them in good styles, and there is even a steady sort of market among pie makers for the cheaper qualities. SUNDRIES. There is one article which we scarcely know how to catalogue in the list of fruits and vegetables, for while it is certainly a vegetable, it is used almost exclusively as a fruit by those who purchase it in tin. We mean pumpkin and squash. It may be classed entirely almost as a Northern article, its habitat being in the Northern belt, and naturally the demand for it is in the same section, but the article itself keeps so well in its natural state, almost entirely through the winter, that the energetic housekeeper seems to prefer crooknecks to the canned article. All the country eats pumpkin pies, and for such purposes there is a considerable pack put up each year. The preparation of it in the canning by means of machinery makes such a fine custard pumpkin of it that housekeepers prefer it to a hard and crusty pumpkin. In the South the sweet potato does duty in nearly the same way as pumpkin in the North, and there are hotels and public providers throughout the land which must at times be able to supply sweet potatoes at any time of the year. We think this general review of the section and crops of fruits and vegetables will enable almost any one desiring or proposing to go into the canning business to inform himself reasonably as to the prospects of any location for a canning factory, and the line of goods that he could most profitably handle in the selected section, and to accomplish this is our purpose in these statements. In establishing a cannery it is, of course, presumed in the first instance that the parties contemplating the erection of a factory have duly considered the possibility and probability of growing, or being able to purchase at equitable prices, sufficient products of the varieties it is desired to pack in the immediate vicinity of the place, sufficiently large quantities to run the factory at its full capacity for a reasonable perod of time. POSSIBILITY OF ACREAGE. In considering this question of the supply of raw stock for canning, it is not sufficient to be merely assured that the land in the section in question will produce the particular vegetable or fruit; but it should be conclusively proven that the crops so produced are well adapted to canning-that is, that the texture of the fruit or vegetable will stand the process of canning and turn out well. Much trouble has been experienced by old packers through the fact that growers brought in the one vegetable, grown in widely separated sections, though all within a small radius of the factory, and raised according to the individual grower's ideas, but which were found when "processed" to turn out greatly different in quality. One section of the country may grow a vegetable that may be very fine in appearance, but which may be too watery, too soft, or too fibrous, and consequently too tough, and so on. The best is not too good for canning, and this should be borne in mind, if sucess is to be expected. If this point be satisfactorily passed, the next consideration to look to is a sufficiency of supply. As the packer is necessarily restricted in the prices he can pay for his crops, he should be careful to see that there are enough growers willing to undertake the growing of the crops in question to such an extent that the factory will be kept steadily employed during the season. Plain, open dealing with the grower will be found the best policy in this case, stating just what he may expect from his crop. If the grower is led to believe his fortune will be made in the first year out of any crop, by painting the picture too glowingly to him, he will look for it, and not finding it, is liable to give trouble another year. The profits of any crop going to a canning factory are small, but compare favorably with any of his other crops in the average year. Having dealt honestly with him, insist upon a strict return of the same character from him. For Machinery and Supplies consult the Advertisers in the back of this Book. SEED REQUIRED TO PLANT AN ACRE OF GROUND The following list, giving the amount of each variety of seed required to plant an acre of ground, is based upon an average, but the amount given is generally considered to be sufficient, so that a thorough distribution of seed may be expected from the amount specified : Kind of Seed. Asparagus, 1 oz. to 200 plants.... Beans, Dwarf, qt. to 100 ft.. Quantity Per Acre. Melon, Water, 4 oz. to 100 hills... Nasturtium, 2 ozs. to 100 ft.. Quantity Per Acre. Kind of Seed. 5 lbs. 7250 2% bu. 5 lbs. 30 lbs. 15 lbs. Beans, Pole, 1 pt. to 100 hills. Beets, Garden, 1 oz. to 50 ft. 6 lbs. Beet, Mangel, 1 oz. to 100 ft.. 6 lbs. Broom Corn, in hills.. 8 lbs. Parsnip, oz. to 100 ft. of drill.. 5 lbs. 3 lbs. 1 bu. 4 lbs. 8 lbs. Pepper, 1 oz. to 1500 plants. 6 ozs. 15 lbs. Potatoes, cut tubers, in drills.. 10 bu. Clover, Mammoth Red, Medium Red 12 lbs. Pumpkin, 4 ozs. to 100 hills. 4 lbs. 4 lb. Radish, 1 oz. to 100 ft. of drill. 8 lbs. 12 lbs. The following advice is taken from a prominent seed house : "The thoughtful cultivator will provide himself with a surplus quantity of the seeds he designs to plant, to hold as a reserve for replantings, as dry weather, beating rains and insect depredations often destroy the first sowing." Clover, Together 6 lbs. Clover 8 lbs. Timothy One Acre 6 lbs. Red Top Clover, Red Top, For One 6 lbs. Clover WATER SUPPLY. The next important item to be considered is a bouniful supply of the purest and coldest water obtainable, which should be introduced into the building through large pipes, tapped at several places convenient to the work. The main pipe or pipes should be large enough and pressure great enough to permit the water to be drawn simultaneously at several different points without materially lessening the flow at any one. Water containing iron or sulphur compounds should not be used in syruping or brining, but may be used for all other operations of the plant. This also applies to a brakish water, especially, that containing any percentage of iodine or bromine. As but a small proportion of the total amount of water consumed is used in syrups or brines, if pure water cannot be procured from other wells or different sources, sufficient may be secured for these purposes by distillation. This process must be conducted by a special apparatus properly handled; not by collecting the condensed steam from the boilers in iron pipes, as water so obtained is apt to be contaminated to a certain extent, particularly if boiler "compounds" are used to prevent scale. CAPITAL REQUIRED. Following the selection of a suitable locality, the paramount consideration is the providing of ample capital to properly install the plant and meet all ordinary operating expenses, with command of such credit as will enable the borrowing of sufficient money on favorable terms for the extraordinary expenses of the packing season, and, if necessary, for the storing and carrying over of stocks until they can be disposed of at a reasonable margin of profit above the cost. For the benefit of all concerned in this great industry, the parties directly interested, the trade in general and the consumers, thus including everyone of a vast population, the evil effects attending the establishment of packing houses with insufficient capital and poor credit, cannot be too strongly condemned. Sooner or later it almost invariably results in failure of the concern through marketing of goods at less than the cost, or the depositing of them as collateral in warehouses at ruinous rates of interest and charges, to secure funds to meet pressing obligations. In either case this means loss on the business done and in deterioration of the plant. Facing such conditions, it is not human nature to expend any more money on improvements, and to make just as few repairs as possible. It is a self-evident fact that in these days of intense competition, in order to be successful it is absolutely necessary to keep the factory and its equipment in the highest state of efficiency and to meet all financial obligations promptly. The amount of capital required to properly conduct the business varies quite as much as the difference in various establishments, |