CAN AND CANNON; DRIER AND DREADNAUGHT 



395 



face of the national landscape. Complete transforma- 

 tion has been wrought in the American backyard and 



vacant lot. In the 

 past these areas 

 were waste places 

 whereon the chief 

 fruitfulness was di- 

 lapidated tinware. 

 Discarded tins 

 from the corner 

 grocery were a 

 standard crop, per- 

 ennial, unfailing, 

 a, n d in perpetual 

 bloom. To-day the 

 waste places flour- 

 ish with the abun- 

 dance of nature. 

 Instead of tomato 

 cans the backyard 

 has its crop of tomatoes. P'or unnumbered tins we 

 have substituted foodstufl:'s in unmeasured tons. With 

 the advent of the season for canning and drying we 

 must carry the transformation one step further. For 

 the discarded tins we must now substitute cans and 

 jars filled with an abundance of our own making. Now 

 that we have taken the cans from the liackvards we 



HOMEMADE SU \ DRIER 



A simple form of construction is used in this 

 drier and the ease with which it may be 

 made is out of all proportion to its great 

 value. The sloping glass top .^xposes the con- 

 tents to the sun. The tray for holdmg vege- 

 tables or fruits is made of strips of wood with 

 galvanized wire mesh bottom. 



must place their brethren on the pantry shelf as com- 

 ponent parts of a company of holders carrying our food 

 supply for the win- 

 ter. The food gar- 

 d e n has already 

 given us food "F. 

 O. B. the Kitchen 

 Door." (J 11 r can- 

 ning and drying 

 i)])erations must 

 give us winter 

 alumdance "F. O.B. 

 the Pantry Shelf." 

 In this campaign 

 F. O. B. has a 

 d o u b 1 e meaning. 

 To the student of 

 economics it means 

 delivered free of 

 charge. To those 

 w h o realize the o.\e form of drier made at 



HOME 

 need tor an abun- This drier makes possible highly effective 

 J r 1 1 vegetable and fruit drying and its simplicity 



dant lOOd supply is such that it may be made at home with 

 . ' little trouble. It consists of a series of travs 

 for the allied armies supported by light framework. The bot- 

 toms of the trays are of galvanized wire 

 its meaning is mesh, it is to be used over a stove. 



"Feed Our Boys." That this meaning will be met with 

 indifference and neglect is not to be beliex'ed. 



A WATCHFULLY WAITING RODENT 

 By Lewis Edwin Theiss 



WE were trout fishing. Noon came and with it the 

 call of Nature. We looked about for a suitable 

 place to eat. Near the stream was an opening in 

 the forest. A giant tree had fallen, making a great hole 

 in the leafy canopy. Through this hole in the forest roof, 

 the sun streamed down warm and grateful, for it was a 

 chilly day in early spring. The tree lay prone in the center 

 of the patch of stmlight. We put our limch on its trunk 

 and seated ourselves astride the tree, facing each other, 

 the lunch between us. 



Twenty-five feet distant rose a tuft of tall grass, near 

 some underbrush. The grass was a vivid, fresh green. 

 All about it were the sere, brown leaves. This splash of 

 bright color caught and held the eye. And as we looked 

 at it, one of the graceful stalks of grass trembled, waved 

 fitfully, and disappeared. The remainder of the grass 

 stalks were as motionless as the painted ship of poetic 

 fame. We watched. Presently a second stalk quivered, 

 shook, and fell. In due season another vanished. Yet 

 not another thing stirred. 



Intently we watched. One after one the grass stalks 

 disappeared ; and when the clump was sufficiently thinned, 

 we saw the cause of it all. A sleek, Httle woodmouse 



was cutting these grass blades one b}' one and dragging 

 them into her nest to line it. 



The entrance to the nest was the familiar little open- 

 ing under the brown leaves. So unsubstantial was this 

 leaf roof that we could even trace the mouse's movements 

 underground, by the slight motion of the leaf -mold. 



For perhaps fifteen minutes we watched this little 

 creature in silence. Blade after blade of grass disappeared. 

 Then no more fell for a time. Then the harvesting was 

 resumed, only to be interrupted again. What was the 

 mouse doing in these hiatuses ? We watched intently. 



Suddenly, near at hand, two button-bright eyes and 

 a brown nose popped out from under the leaves, regarded 

 us a moment, and disappeared. The grass cutting was 

 resumed. Presently it stopped. We watched closely. 

 Many feet away the same brown head suddenly appeared 

 above the forest floor. It watched us for a moment, then 

 withdrew. And again the haying continued. So it went 

 on throughout our entire lunch period — which we pur- 

 posely prolonged. A dozen tunnels led to the grass-lined 

 nest, and at every one the little mouse took a squint at 

 us, then went on with her work. Presently we withdrew 

 quietly. We had learned how the mouse kept watch of us. 

 We went away wondering how the trout managed it — 

 for our creels were empty. 



IVTEVER backfire against a forest fire from the bottom 

 -L * of a mountain. You may bum up some of your own 

 party if you do. Go to the top and work down the hill. 



IF you are burning resinous wood, such as pine, and your 

 chimney becomes clogged with soot, throw a few pieces 

 of sheet zinc on the fire. 



