AMERICAN FORESTRY 



1 VOL. XXIII 



JULY 1917 



NO. 283 i 



CAN AND CANNON; DRIER AND DREADNAUGHT 



BY NORMAN C. McLOUD 



INSPIRED by the success of the Home Gardening campaign the Conservation Department of the American 

 Forestry Association is now cooperating with the National Emergency Food Garden Commission in giving 

 attention to the proper handling of the national abundance produced by 2,000,000 or more food gardens. 

 In this work Ues Conservation in its highest form. Production is but the first step in the fight against possible 

 war-time scarcity of food. The next step is to insure the wisest and best use of nature's abundance. Waste 

 must be eliminated. Every pound of foodstuffs must be utilized for food. In no other way can the nation 

 reap full reward for the labors of its Home and Community Gardeners. To do this calls for Home and Com- 

 munity Canning and Drying on a national scale. To bring this about is the present aim. In this movement 

 there is need for help from the individual membership of the American Forestry Association. By spreading 

 the gospel of Food Thrift, by encouraging the people of their communities to can or dry all vegetables and 

 fruits that can be canned or dried, and by helping to give the widest possible circulation to the Canning and 

 Drying Manuals issued by the Commission the members of the Association will be making constructive 

 contribution to the cause of Food Conservation. 



FOOD Conservation by Canning and Drying in the 

 homes of America is the object of a nation-wide 

 campaign now being conducted by the National 

 Emergency Food Garden Commission of Washington, 

 D. C. In cooperation with the Conservation Department 

 of the American Forestry Association the Commission 

 has been instrumental in causing the most remarkable 

 Home Gardening movement the world has ever known. 

 Comprehensive survey of the country has enabled the 

 Commission to announce that more than two million food 

 gardens have been planted and cultivated this year. Most 

 of these were on ground on which no planting had been 

 done in the past. The estimated value of the crop is 

 over $250,000,000. The present aim is to insure the 

 wisest and most effective use of the vast surplus of garden 

 stuff created on this newly 

 discovered planting area. 



Even a small garden 

 plot will produce more 

 vegetables than the aver- 

 age household can consume 

 during the growing season. 

 This is Nature's way of 

 providing for the future. 

 It is no part of Nature's 

 scheme of things that the 

 surplus should go to waste. 

 The obvious intent of sum- 

 mer's over-abundance is 

 that it should be converted 



CARROTS FOR THE WINTER 



When sliced lengthwise and properly dried, carrots appear as here pictured. 

 Their appetizing appearance is enough to convert any household to the move- 

 ment for food conservation by Drying and Canning in the home. 



into an unfailing source of supply for the needs of the 

 winter. To do this calls for an army of Home Canners 

 and Home Driers. These are as important as the army 

 of Home Gardeners. In some respects they are even 

 more important. For this reason an urgent summons 

 has gone forth drafting the Soldiers of the Soil to the 

 battle against waste. The can is as much needed as the 

 cannon ; the drier is as important as the dreadnaught or 

 the submarine. 



The battle cry of the home gardening movement was 

 for food "F. O. B. the Kitchen Door." The new call 

 is for food "F. O. B. the Pantry Shelf." Unless garden 

 products are saved for winter use much of the labor of 

 the Home Gardeners will have been for naught. They 

 will have had the benefit of summer enjoyment of their 



food products, but they will 

 miss the greater benefit that 

 comes from providing for 

 the winter. With appetites 

 adjusted to the unprece- 

 dented abundance of this 

 year's growing season, 

 .American families can ill 

 afford to go into the winter 

 months without provision 

 for a liberal supply of the 

 vegetable products that 

 have contributed so much 

 to their summer enjoyment 

 and physical health. Pal- 

 389 



