392 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



matter of summer preparation for w iiiier food supply 

 is already partly solved. With an abundant supply of 

 green stuffs of their own raising, they are independent 

 from the very outset. To non-producers, however, the 

 call for canning and drying is in no measure less ur- 

 gent. Even though they must buy their vegetables 

 and fruits for canning, they will find that the money 

 saving will be very large, for the reason that the buying 



will be done during the 

 season of lowest prices. 

 Any housewife can con- 

 vince herself with five 

 minutes of figuring that 

 she can reduce the cost 

 of winter living by avail- 

 ing herself of summer 

 buying. If she waits 

 until the growing season 

 is over and buys cold- 

 storage vegetables or 

 canned goods, she will 

 find her household ex- 

 penses greatly increased 

 over the cost of the same 

 vegetables bought during 

 the summer and pre- 

 pared in her own home. 



AT HO.ME WITH A ROTARY SI.ICER 



The housewife in this picture is preparing sweet potatoes for the drier, with the 

 She has already cut the potatoes into slices and is now cutting these slices into 

 machine. 



\ arious causes contribute to this increased cost. Not 

 the least of these is that the winter supply of storage 

 goods and canned products lacks competition with the 

 fresh products. With all merchandise the markets are 

 ruled by the laws of supply and demand. In the grow- 

 ing season the supply is so great as to keep prices at the 

 lowest level. During the winter, when production is 

 stopped, the canned goods and the storage goods have 

 the market to themselves. That prices should then be 

 much higher is one of the plainest truths of economics. 

 For this reason the individual household must provide its 



POTATOES THAT APPEAL 



Note these potato strings and imagine how you would like them stored away 

 for immediate use at any time during the winter. They have been cooked, passed 

 through a grinder and then dried. By elimination of the moisture they are 

 reduced to size that takes little storage room. 



own means of furnishing competition. The one way in 

 which this can be done is by canning and drying while 

 the supply is plentiful. To do this is helpful in two 

 directions. It utilizes the vast surplus that would other- 

 wise go to waste, and it makes the household indeiiendent 

 of the high prices of the winter season. 



Another factor making for higher prices during the 

 winter is that divers intermediate charges and profits are 

 added to the price before they reach the consumer. The 

 cost includes the charges for cold storage, for warehous- 

 ing, for transportation, for distribution, and for many 

 other phases of commercial necessity, 

 to say nothing of the interest and div- 

 idends which must be earned on the 

 invested capital of every agency con- 

 cerned in preparation, distributing and 

 selling. With vegetables and fruits 

 canned at home even the non-producers 

 are freed from the tax properly placed 

 on winter purchases. They pay for no 

 handling except that connected with the 

 market operations of the fresh supply. 

 From the various charges and profits con- 

 nected with goods bought during the win- 

 ter they are entirely immune. In this 

 they are on even terms with the home 

 gardeners after the first cost of the 

 green stuffs. 



Of similar importance is the national 

 need for reducing the strain on the trans- 

 portation facilities of the country. With 

 the vast shipments of munitions and 

 countless other forms of war merchan- 

 dise mnv taking place, tlie railroads are already strained 

 beyond their powers. With the approach of winter this 

 strain will be tremendously increased. Authorities agree 

 that next winter will see freight congestion throughout 

 America on a more appalling scale than has ever been 

 experienced. The importance of this in its relation to 

 food supply can not be overemphasized. If the homes 

 of America permit themselves to face the winter with 

 their usual dependence on the corner grocery and the 

 storage warehouse for their foodstufifs they will be 

 inviting tragedy in the form of high prices and 



aid of a rotary slicer. 

 strips, with the same 



