For February, l'J20 



S3 



How to Reduce the Cost of Livins 



(Tlw following article bearing on a subject in zi-hich the 

 at<peared in a current issue of South African Gardening and Coun 

 we republish it in these columns. IP'lule the high cost of living 

 to it), zmlt not be entirely solved by the recommendations of our 

 certainly tend to relieve some of the shortages, ichcther actual or 

 home garden brings some relief, as our contemporary writes, "it is 



X70R four years roughly half the world's population 

 has been engaged in making war material or fight- 

 ing with what was made. 



In pre-war days these millions would have been en- 

 gaged in producing the goods we Ijuy from stores. 

 All the time these millions were fighting or making 

 munitions they had to be fed. clothed, and housed. 



The other half of the world's population could not 

 make sufficient goods to provide themselves, plus 

 the — from an economic point of view — unproductive 

 half, with their requirements. 



The demand became greater than the supply. The 

 law of supply and demand regulates prices, and so 

 prices went up. 



The workers found they had to pay more for neces- 

 sities of life, and so demanded and got higher wages. 



Before prices are ever likely to fall the supply of 

 necessities must exceed the demand, and this has got 

 to be the case before there is any hope of reducing 

 wages and thus production costs. 



There is therefore as great a need to-day to prevent 

 w'aste and increase production as ever during the war 

 period. 



Everv garden can help to reduce the cost of living 

 if it is made to produce as much as possible, and so 

 save the buying of packed goods from the store. 



If vegetables and fruits are eaten as far as possible 

 instead of packed goods, the demand for the latter be- 

 comes less, and gradually the price will fall. The in- 

 creased amount you spend with your storekeeper for 

 such goods may appear hardly worth saving, but you 

 would no doubt like to save a few pounds on a suit 

 or costume. But if you can help to reduce the cost 

 of packed goods you help to reduce the cost of all 

 goods, because the man who makes — say, suits — pays 

 less for packed goods, and so does not have to demand 

 so nuich for iiis goods or services in return. 



Even slight reductions react all round. There are 

 also those whose incomes are fixed and who cannot 

 increase them. Under the strain of present da^- prices 

 these people can hardly live. It is therefore something 

 more than patriotic for all of us to do our bit to re- 

 duce living costs, and one way of doing this is to pro- 

 duce as much as possible and buy as little. 



We believe that medical opinion to-day is unanimous 

 on the fact that people are not eating enough fresh 

 vegetables. If we ate more vegetables and less meat 

 our hos])ital> and nursing homes would not be so 

 crowded as they are to-day. 



It is not. however, with this phase of the (|Ufstion 

 that we are at present concerned, but with reducing 

 the cost of living. In the latter coimcction it will be 

 readily admitted that really good vegetables are dear. 

 They are because the man who produces and sells 

 them has to pay dearly for the goods he buys, and 

 so has to make more on the goods he produces or sells. 



Every purchase or service is dear to-day for the 

 same reason. Therefore anything one can grow gives 

 a real saving of cash, and reduces the cost of such com- 

 modities to those who have not the means of effecting 

 this economy. 



The food value of vesfetables is not sufificientlv real- 



■a'holc country is most deeply absorbed at this time, and wluch 

 try Life, contains so much that is applicable to our own readers that 

 or the cost of "high liznng" {as some thinkers are wont to refer 

 contemporary, home production of food products wilt, however, 

 manipulated and consequent sharp advances in their cost. The 

 the gram of Zi-heat that makes the bushel."— Editor. 



ized, and we append to these notes a table showing 

 how they compare with lean beef. It w^ill be seen that 

 the vegetable kingdom contains, together with cereals, 

 all the necessary ingredients for the building up and 

 maintenance of human life. 



As, however, there are to-day large numbers of 

 people who are strict vegetarians, this point need not 

 be argued further. Nor is there need to enumerate 

 the dainty dishes that can be prepared from vegetables 

 alone. 



In conclusion, we appeal to our readers to grow 

 and eat more vegetables for the sake of health, with 

 the object of reducing the cost of other commodities 

 to those whose existence is a struggle under present 

 day conditions, and to increase production and so help 

 to reduce living costs under the law of supply and demand. 



Readers may consider their opportunity ineft'ective, 

 hut remember it is the grains of wheat that make the 

 bushel, and encourage your neighbor to follow your 

 example. 



\ EGETABLE FOOD \'ALUES. 



Three kinds of food are necessary to keep the human 

 body in a strong and healthy condition, viz. : 



PROTEIN for flesh forming and body building, and 

 to repair the wastage in blood and tissue. 



CARBO-HYDRATES (starch and sugar) ana F.\T, 

 which give heat and energy to the body. 



