Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 194, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1915 — How the Farmer’s Daughter May Earn Pin Money [ARTICLE]

How the Farmer’s Daughter May Earn Pin Money

A- lady in Richmond, Va., has made a national reputation putting up and fiAiung “pin money pickles.” She began a few years ago In a very modest way, but now her products are so popular th»* they can be found nearly everywhere in the United States. Another woman, in Washington, D. G» has built up a business making chowchow for which she gets three dollars a gallon.

These are only samples of what hundreds of young women have done to earn pin money by putting up canned goods at home. People are continually a better quality of canned goods and are willing to pay a better price for them. The farmer’s daughter who desires to earn pin money may avail herself of this demand, and with care and perseverance learn to put up canned goods that she may sell at a profit Those who are interested in such a project may obtain detailed instructions on canning in Farmer’s Bulletin 621 of the United States Department of Agriculture, which will be sent free of charge to the applicant The bulletin, while encouraging the young woman in her efforts to make a business proposition of putting up fruits and. vegetables, cautions against over-enthusiasm. It advises that the beginner experiment with a few cans before going too heavily into the project If the first cans keep well she may be encouraged to proceed. If she meets with a few failures perhaps she has overlooked some important detail outlined in the department’s bulletin. It is only through failures that one gets good experience, and with a little practice and care in following the directions any farmer’s daughter should be able to put up a satisfactory of fruit or vegetables. When a young woman has succeeded in putting up a product satisfactory for home use she may well look around for a market outside the home. The girl who starts out with confidence in herself will be more likely to find a good marks than one who is diffident.

The girl with experience in canning knows the - products with which she has the most success, and should endeavor to sell only those in which she excels. It is always best to specialize and work up a reputation for some particualr kind of goods, as did the women already mentioned. One girl may make a feature of catsup, another may find her best product is pickles, while another may put up a specially attractive can of peppers, cauliflower, peaches, apples or tomatoes. People of means are most likely to want “home canned" products, and these are the ones to see. Many housewives living in the cities who leave home for the country during the summer months will gladly give the farmer’s daughter an order to can enough tomatoes to last them all winter. It is best to take orders ahead as far as possible. The young woman who starts out to sell her products will of course dress neatly and take samples of her products put up in an* attractive form. Glass jars will show products much better than tins, but if tins are found to be less expensive they may be used for all except the show products. The managers of the best hotels and restaurants in the neighborhood, the stewards of social clubs in the cities, the managers of railroad dining cars, and many retail grocers will be glad to use the products of the girl who does her canning at home. These products are likely to show individual care and to be prepared neatly of good materials, and on the shelves of a retail store are likely, to attract attention from the best customers. If a young woman knows by experience that her products are first class she need not hesitate to put a good price on them. Home canned goods, canned by experienced people, are worth more than ordinary goods, and one need not compete with the other. "Fancy goods" are rarely found upon bargain counters. Even if the first samples of home canning are not such as may be readily sold they may be used at home, and from her. experience the farmer’s daughter may do better the following season. When she actually succeeds in getting something better than the ordinary she should be able to sell it. She may well ask her friends to recommend her tp good trade. The young woman sincerely determined to make a success of canning as a business proposition with perseverance and care in following instructions should be sure of some measure of success.