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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1922)
c:;z goi ' GU2IDAY-' JoumiAL,"- -foiitx; and,u Sunday-- ricninG,-. dzci:: :zz:i zi, 1:22. tHe Froit : and Vegetable Caniiiiig liidustry"" THE NORTHWEST CANNERS ASSOCIATION 1 .WA W IV- -ill' 4 r: 1 Y INTERIOR VIEW OF MODERN FRUIT CANNERY V- S' '7 -In order that there may be no misunderstanding as to the proper grading of fruits, -annually this ' association conducts an investigation in the City of Portland, at which time samples are taken from every plant in the two states' and are examined carefully by most competent judges, and die findings of the examination are reported in detail to all members of the association. This Ogives the canners an opportunity to check up' on the packs of their competitors and has much to do With the wonderful increase noted .in the standardization of Northwest packs.' . iThe task of inspecting the hundreds of cans .'. is huge and the investigation lasts over a period of days. - While progressiias been made in the canning industry and a steady increase in pro duction noted, with the single exception of the, year 1920, which, being a year of re construction, and owing to the fact that thousands upon thousands, of cases of canned - goods were duown into consumption from army stores, which necessarily slackened up the pack for that year, nevertheless the"Industry is handicapped principally for the want of capital to properly function. This does not mean that a great deal of assistance has --;not been given to the industry by the financial powers, but rather that the importance of the industry to the Northwest has not been fully appreciated by the financial interests and V y thHC&ambers' of Commerced tii'l 1"" :i'-?5iY rif;i 'Hrfc " - In order to properly understand the needs of the canner; one should keep firmly in .'mind the fact that the canning business is one that requires the keenest foresight, and also bear inmind the fact that very few carloads of straight varieties of one kind of fruit are purchased by the jobbing interests. In fact, by far the greater part of the canned goods shipments consist of mixed cars, and in these cars are every variety of canned fruits and vegetables packed in the Northwest, so-that the canner finds it neces sary .in the spring, be fore he season is under way, to endeavor to secure some future orders that will give him at least an insight of the probable requirements of the consuming public for the ensuing year. Of course, it is impossible for the canner to book ahead tuuiucui UUUUC99 iu iuc mic vi cuuic opciduoo , dui, using MS IUhuc OraCTS as a figuring basis, he must -BOrrangehis affairs that he will havelhe necessary fdiversified v pack in order to take care of his buyers. iTheref are, starting in with the gooseberry pack at the first of the year, he ECustproceed through the whole year packing consecutively , IX SHORT YEARS ago. during the summer f 1916, a scant half dozen canners met at luncheon in Portland. Or..' hiving in tund the possibility of formirg some kind of an association which could act for the canters of Oregon in' an attempt at. least., to aid in the solution of its problems of a general . , nature Which continually develop in any great business and which can be handled only as a general matter. ' This body"; formed "themselves into an assodation known the Northwest Canners Association, which asso- - ciation for several years was more or less of. a precaiious matter However, in the last few years realizing. '' that muchXcould be accomplished by united effort, the associaon has grown rapidly, until in the year 1920 ' it was enlarged m scope to Uke in the State of Washington as well as Oregon, so that the association now has a membership of 46 firms operating a total of 63 fruit and vegetable canning plants in the two states more than two-thirds of the total number of canneries and approximately 60 per cent of the total output. -: The association,;' during; the year; 1922, found that its task had grown to such an extent that it was found necessary to establish permanent offices in the City of Portland, and,; due Ao the united cooperation of its - members, theassociation has been able to greatly better conditions having to do with the canning industry, particularly in matters pertaining to traffic problems, publicity, legislative and problems of general interest in r the matter: of canning specifications, general, bettermeat of working conditions, the . improvement of sanitation, and, indeed, aH' matters of this character. " , . --; - Not alone have U member, plants been benefited but, as a natural consequence, every canner, whether -t or not a member, had received untold benefits through Vbe efforts f the association. - 1 "t On the question of standardization of pack, the association is putting fdrth every effort toward this end. - Strict specifications are issued and every canner is expected to' pack strictly in accordance with these specifi -r cations. It is the object of the association to so educate the canners in the Northwest that .the pack of every ' plant will be as near a standard as is humanly possible, so that each can of fruit packed in the Northwest will be on a par. 1 , " . v' vThese specifications are given herewith with the idea that the. consumer may know what he should ex- - pect to find in the can, and a careful study of them is to be recommended: - :-. ' v i ; The established grades are, in the order of their comparative values,-Fancy, Choice, Standard, Sub Standard (or Seconds). Water and Pie. : . - Fancy grade or superlative quality consists of fruit of very fine color, ripe yet retaining its form, not ' mushy, free from blemishes, with the pieces uniform in size and very symmetrical, and packed in the high est percentage, of sugar in syrup. f - -Choice grade or fine quality consists of fruit of fine color, .ripe yet retaining its form, not mushy, free ' from blemishes, with the pieces uniform in size and symmetrical, and packed in approximately 10 per cent 'lower percentage of sugar in Syrup than Fancy. v. ' . ' - " Standard grade or good quality consists., of fruit of reasonably good color,' ripe yet Hot mushy, reason ably free from blemishes, with the pieces reasonably . uniform in size and reasonably symmetrical, and packed in approximately 10 per cent lower percentage of sugar in syrup than Choice. ' 1 r ' , Sub-Standard grade v (or Seconds) quality consists of, fruit tolerably free from blemishes, pieces toler' ably uniform in size, color and ripeness, and packed in approximately 10 per cent lower percentage of sugar , -in syrupthan Standard. ' . . ' - ' . ' , t Water and Pie grades consist of wholesome fnnt unsuited for the above grades. ' ' sL , ;The Fancy, Choice and Standard grades are the grades of fruit principally used by the housewife. ' 1 , C The lower. gracles are those used by restauranU and strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, cherries, pears, prunes, plums, and finishing up and thus able to carry the load, could put up a much larger pack, and the entire situation with apples in October, ' - thus relieved. . - " , - . Were it possible for the canner to ship his pack as it is produced in the plant, his ..: -' la the past there have been times when it has been inadvisable for growers to pick troubles would not be 'great, but he must be in a position to hold his early pack clear . fruit, owing to the fact that the canner had no market and was not in a position to pack through the packing season and into the' Fall before he is able to clean up on his mixed :" ,the goods and await bis market later : Thus, taking these points into consideration, it f 1 1 - A L " .1 - i " 1 r .1 1 . " t - e :- t ' A Jl : .1 . .t it.. I : . ' - ! f . 1 t . II .1 t . 'carloads, which means that in some cases a period of .six months elapses before he can realize on his pack. Now, the canner must pay cash for everything, for the reason that he is' on a cash basis.:' It is,' of course, well known that sugar, one: of the chief essen- tials iof the canning business, is a cash sale; his cans are also cash: his labor, of course, is cash ; tiis transportation charges, which are heavy, are a cash proposition and most important, of allsupply of fruit is handled strictly ; on a cash basis, for, the . -farmer or producer must be taken care of ; for he. in turn, has his problems of paying cash to his-pickers and other help; so that the canner must have a tremendous line of credit' in order , to accommodate all of these people and himself must be able to wait until the Fall, when he cannealize pn his shipments. , ! - ' --- f ' This means that for sixj months in the year eveiything is being paid out, but his re- ' turns come very quickly when the packing season is over. ? - . ' . . - :: . . , , ' There is not a cannery in this district that could not have increa secfits output, had it been possible to arrange ,to take care of the entire quantity of fruit offered. It is true ' , that some crops here were short, owing to the weather conditions during the year ..1 922, but aside from this h is seldom possible to take care of the entire production of berries - and fruits. Indeed, a great quantity of .berries are annually shipped, frozen in barrels, to Eastern jam and preserve manufacturers,' owing to the fact that it is not possible forV , . the canners to handle all the" fruit. . . " . . . ' - v. - - If financial arrangements could be made, the canner could-pack every bit -of fruit . grown in the district, and then, being secured through proper financial arrangements, it -' .'would not be necessary for him to figure so closely on his possible sales, but, he would be in a position to pack all the fruit offered and warehouse same. Thus the producer could bring his entire output to the canning plant, and the canner, being properly finncd Would mean that the canner would pack.' not according to future orders, but all the fruit delivered to his plant, and no. raw products would be shipped out of the district to be -manufactured elsewhere, and thit district would receive the benefit of manufacturing costs. The Northwest Canners Association is putting forth every effort to aid in a -more liberal financing of canners, having; in mind these facts; and, while, at is true,, as, stated .before, that the. canning industry has grown and will continue to grow, it is nevertheless even more true that no extraordinary growth in this industry will be noted until such a -time as the combined interests of ,the Northwest unite in a more liberal financing of this . great and important industry. : : - svWe talk of more settlers for the Northwest.'- We are behind the rest of the coun try in this particular, but before we can honestly and consistently appeal to the settler' to locate in our, locality we should provide him with a market for his products, for we are -assuming that the most satisfactory settler is one who. develops the land, and we must, -'bear in mind that no district is stronger than its' agricultural development, : Therefore, the ', development of the Northwest, agriculturally, is tied "hand and foot with the develop ment of the canning industry of the Northwest, and with the development of the canning industry will be found similar development along horticultural lines. V The settler locat ing on a small tract of land can more quickly make a living by setting out ft small tract of berries and small fruits than in any other manner. . , . t-C-v v p , "The canner is doing his best to aid jhe small farmer, but thus far has had to fight his battles practically alone. While, of course, it is true that the canner needs the " : grower, and the grower the canner, nevertheless it is also true that, the business interests . of the Northwest need both the grower and the canner if the entire district is to grow as it should. Me Canmin (Tl? Tin. fl titi tAt oiirce of Reveiiliie to the 'hiwest r TipHE TOTAL VALUE of the production of canned goods in Oregon and .Wash mgtondurmg the year J 922 amounted to more tfian $12,000,000. The products packed in this state were distributed all over the United States and a great pro portion was exported, principally to Qreat Britain,' France, Canada, and someof the Orient. Thus, the disfribution, it will be observed, u practicaUy universal. This"means that millions of dollars of outside money is brought into the States annually by this ... industry. .,.;' , ' -j ' ' 4 This is not a destructive industry, and each year adds to its upbuilding.1 , ' ' !. ' The chief indusby of the Northwest has always been lumber, and the lumber-in-v dustry is. of course, deserving of all support and great praise; but. when the trees are cut v down the land is rendered valueless until such a time as it is put under cultivation, and - the canning industry offers a solution toward the development of land thus laid destitute.: . , " The market afforded by the industry makes it possible for the small farmer to clear off a few acres of land, plant this land thus cleared in small fruits, berries, and with even ' such a small tract as 10 acres, placed under cultivation and planted in this manner, in a : very short space of time the grower is enabled to earn a good living for himself and family. ---and each year,; as he succeeds in adding "an acre or so to lus tract, be is able to increase his output gradually and thus pay hu expenses of dearing as he goes alopg. ' , ' ' " The canning industry is also one of the few industries that can exist in a small community. ,i It is a tremendous factor in its locality, not alone because it furnishes a i - market for that locality, but also because the canner pays cash for his product, thus af fording the grower immediate returns for his efforts. - ""-". In addition to this a great deal of inexperienced help is used at the plants every -.: summer, and in this work many women. and students find'a wonderful opportunity of pro-. 1 7 vidinga little "nest egg" which goes far toward helping them along. " Added to the help employed in the canneries, the growers, of course, employ a similar class of help ja ; ' the fields as pickers. - '- .. i - - ; , , , . r ;. , f W ; - ; - - - r.,.. ., . Another way in which the canner helps materially in the upbuilding of -the com-;. - rnunity is the fact that the cannery is one of the few industries that aid every other business. "Itls hard to name any: class of trade that does not benefit by the patronage of this industry. The industry is susceptible of great development and the canners are putting forth every , 4 ' effort toward the proper education of thegfowers so that' the right kind.of fruit may ' be planted and proper care taken of the growing vines and trees. - t . A staf f, of expert Jb employed by most of the canneries and these men spend their ' "entire time and energy in assisting the growers inecuring maximum returns from then -. labor. The canner is ready, at all times, to arrange for the analyzing of the soil so that - it may be determined which crop the land is best' adapted to. - Fertilization and harvesting ' . methods receive similar attention. Seeds and plants can be obtained through canner , -by the growers at actual cosL , - , :;- " . ' ... s ? . The Oregon Agricultural college has rendered invaluable aid . in every . line of. ; , horticulture, and is conducting classes for the instruction of the cannery employe so that - " ! the canners may not be confronted by the problem' of inexperienced help in that part of their work, which requires careful attention, and close application. . - - ' ' ' 'Very little assistance has. been received by. either of the two Northwest states from U y govemmentarsources in the upbuilding of -this industry." , In this matter we are behind; - - i the great fruit growing states. - California has appropriated hundreds of thousands of T dollars and is financing training courses in its state university," and conducting investiga- -, tional work , at all times in f the matter of the elimination of fruit and vegetable pests, 't and has thus very materially aided in mcreasing and bettering the oulput. ' . : Michigan Minnesota. - Illinois. Ohio and New York state legislators' have 7 aided' ; very materially in similar vork. Tn Illinois, alone the legislature has authorized the coo- , . struction of a complete plant which will cost in the neighborhood of $25 0,000, which ' 'plant will be devoted -entirely to horicultural interests. ' ' . ' . ; ; The problems of th canner in the proper preparing and preserving of fruits are y - taken up by these bureaus. . x The tuneias come when the Northwest state legislatures should take similar action -;: - in order to keep pace; with the growth of the rest of the country. The canner. and -. - grower, working together, have endeavored to solve many of these problems, but the investigational work is expensive and. extremely far reaching, and there are problems V beyond the "ken of either of these parties which can "only be solved by experts, thor-' r'oughly equipped with the technical knowledge necessary and being able to conduct their, t t experiments by having at their rommand thorougUy up-to-date laboratories ' The Oregon Agricultural . college; under " the - splendid leadership of Professor '' Wiegand, has done much to help both the horticulturist and the canner in these problems. " . : but of' necesmry it cannot do-much on account of the lack of equipment. It is hoped. however, that tfie very near future will see provisions made in a manner which will enable , . . i better. progress to be made in this class of work. - -'t " The problems of die canner and the grower should not be considered as theirs alone. -' j The development of the entire, country dependson the settler; .the success of the settler depends on his ability, to produce and market satisfactory crops; the success of the canner 1. depends on his ability to secure the proper kind of fruit and have this properly prepared I " so that it will meet all competition and thus it is seen that the development of the entire ; district depends, to a great extent, on the development of the one industry that the grower can look to as an ""outlet for his crops. - 1 " ; t The. Northwest is in a position to produce the finest fruits obtainable' in any part ' -; of the world, but we are woefully deficient in that equipment which adds so much to i the improvement of crops and in manufacturing. - - - The future of the Northwest lies in such industries as this that cannot do otherwise than aid in the upbuilding of the entire district. . - " TactsConcerningtheGanned Goods Industry in Oregon and Washington JTotal Number of Cases of Canned Fruii Packed ' ' ' 1919 ,1920 1921' ;i 1922 Washirlgton 121 1.177 1.003.9361.307.548 1.569.057 Oregon ..U28.629 1.019.391 "1,304,457 r.565.348. Total Northwest dist 2.439.806 2.023327 2.612.005 5.134.405 Estimated. . ' . - . - ' , ' ' - - : Approxnnate value of 1 92 1 Washington pack V Approximate value of 192 1 Oregon paek. . ...i., ..$ 4.481.485.25 4.903.699.25 Total . ...... ,.$9385,184.50 Estimated value of 1922 pack. Northwest. ; . . ... . . . .$1 16221.40 Total number of individual plants. . ........ . ....... 90 'Total number of operating firms. . '. , . '. . ... . . ... . i ... . 75 Estimated number of employes at peak of pack. . ; . J . '. . . . .8000 f Comparison With' California Pack, 1921 v Northwest 'California ; .2.612,005 8,511.851 157.401; 2.615.947 Fruits Vegetables . . ............. . . -. . . i ' Regarding canned vegetables, very little has been attempted in this line in' the Northwest, but a gradual improvement is noticed in the canning of, vegetables. No estimate of the value of the Northwest canned 'vegetables pack is contained in the figures above noted. .-. -r.. ,"''- A creagcin Oregon - .Total acres of land in farms in 1 92 1 . . . ...... 8.4 1 9.955 .Total acres in agricultural and horticultural products . . . . . . .3,031339 1 otal number or rarms m vregon . . . . . . . .......... . . . ; Statistics regarding acreage are not yet available on Washington.' 33.917 !