Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-12-30 | Page 65 | Canning is near Top of Utah Industries

CIII IS ff Afi TOP ,0F UTAHJDUSTRIES Total Pack for 1917 Is 1,250,000 Cases of Fruit and Vegetables. With a total pack of more than 1,250,-0U0 1,250,-0U0 cases of fruit and vegetables that brought the greatest financial returns in the history of the industry, the canning business resumed its place during the season of 1917 near the top of Utah's principal industries. This vast amount of food represents the output of approximately approxi-mately thirty-five canning factories, and more than 91,000.000 was distributed for farm and orchard products, together with labor in the packing plants. From the standpoint of the gross amount of food packed the present year is exceeded only by the season of 1914, when 1.33S.497 cases of fruit and vegetables vege-tables represented the output of Utah canneries. The estimated total for 1017 is 1.271.7S1 cases. but the increased amount received for the canning prod- nets this season places the present year j far in the load of 1914. when prices, par- j ticularlv on tomatoes, wore low. j In the language of the roped prize ;W ring, the canning industry in Utah rcgis-tored rcgis-tored a decided "comeback" in 1917 after y' two "lean" years. From the highest, mark of nearly one and one-half million a rases in 1914 the output dropped to , .A 775.000 cases in 1915 and to NOO.ono In j, 191ti. Almost every condition was tavor-i tavor-i able to a highly successful season in 1917. War conditions produced an active market and higher prices influenced the I growers to Increase their acreage. The condition which meant more to the canners than anything else outside of the actual crop was the fact that weather conditions favored lliem with one of the longest canning periods for tomatoes. The factories were able to start operation about one week in ad- vance of the usual date and the killing frosts held off until the resources of the factories as to canning materials and storage capacity were almost exhausted. There was some difficulty in factory operation, op-eration, due to t ho shortage of labor, but this was overcome when civic and public. Institutions went to the rescue of the bfg food crop and the canners. As In previous years of tiie industry, about 75 per cent of all the canning crops of the state were grown a :al packed in Wehor county. What this immense im-mense output of food means to the nation na-tion in the conduct of the present world war Is indicated by the fact that the government early in the season requisitioned requisi-tioned a certain percentage of peas and tomatoes, and approximately fii't y carloads car-loads of these products have been shipped to army and navy distributing stations. According (o the figures furnished by H. U. Herrington, president of the Utah Tanners' association, tomatoes top the list of 1917 canned products with a total of 630.147 cases. Peas are next v ith ,!.70 cases. It is estimated that all nds of fruit furnished material tor li'O.OOO cases and miscellaneous canned products, such as pumpkin, pork and beans, catsup and pickles added another 100,000 cases. String beans were packed to the extent of 27, $74, the total pack amounting to 1.37I.7S1 cases. Due to the campaign of the federal tood administration for increased production pro-duction of foodstuffs for 191S. the canners can-ners are foremost in the movement to urge increased acreage of canning crops ' throughout the state next vear. They rjT are fully represented on a special com-mitt com-mitt ee. of manufacturers that is cooperating co-operating with farm organizations and other bodies to tha end.