Excerpt from Science and Experiment as Applied to Canning

The principal papers are from the pens of Prof. S. C. Prescott, of the Massachusetts School of Technology, and \v. Lyman Underwood, of Bos ton, Mass, who are the pioneers in bacterial research as relating to canned goods and to whom the canners of the United States owe a debt of gratitude if nothing more. A sort of strange coincidence is connected with the first investigation into the causes which developed sour corn and which had proved a serious menace to the packers of that article. Mr. \v. Lyman Underwood is a member of the firm of \vm. Underwood Co, of Boston, which firm, with other articles of food, is a heavy packer of lobsters, which from an early date gave much trouble and anxiety to the packer by frequently turning black in the can. After various reasonings and experiments, all of which resulted unsatisfactorily. Mr. Un derwood decided to make a thorough scientific study of the ques tion, and, under the advice and leadership of Professor S. C. Prescott, entered into an exhaustive research and investigation of the bacteria af feeling lobster. As Nlr. Underwood pursued his studies he became enthused with the work. And. Together with Professor Prescott. Continued his investigations in other lines of canned goods, chiefly corn, and later on peas. Eastern canners first became aware of the scientific work being done by these gentlemen and naturally became very much interested and even anxious to learn the results of these pioneer investigations into the almost unknown ground of bacteria as relating to canned goods. It is a remark able fact that up to the time of these investigations by Professors Prescott and Underwood the art of canning was a dense and tangled underbrushof theories, hedged about by mysterious nods and winks; factories were jealously guarded as if they contained some enchanted secret and it was almost as difficult to secure admission as it was to break into the-vaults of a bank. All this arose from carefully guarded ignorance on the part of the canner and his desire to protect what little information he possessed re garding the process of canning. The canner himself really knew so little about the science of canning that he was compelled through caution to throw the glamour of secrecy over nearly every movement in order to pro teet himself and his lack of skillful knowledge. Canning seemed more like an intrigue than a legitimate commercial business; the act of self interest which brought Mr. Underwood and Professor Prescott together was really the first attempt ever made to place the canning business on a safe and solid basis of action.

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