THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 151 



food is the first of all requirements, we should by all 

 means adopt and develop that method of food shipment 

 which calls for least space. This means that we should 

 greatly increase the use of dried foods. 



One thing alone stands in the way of a large develop- 

 ment of the commercial drying industry. Aside from 

 government contracts, the food driers have at present 

 practically no market for their products. Manufac- 

 turer after manufacturer has so reported to the National 

 War Garden Commission, and practically all report 

 that it is difficult to create a market. The period of 

 government contracts is limited. Army consumption will 

 decrease rapidly. Faced with this situation, food driers 

 naturally do not care greatly to enlarge their plants. 



Something must therefore be done to create a market 

 for dried foods. For one thing, an educational adver- 

 tising campaign on the part of the operators is to be 

 strongly urged. A western company writes of the as- 

 tonishment of visitors "at the simple and sanitary 

 method of handling the fruits or vegetables, " and their 

 interest "because of the very apparent economy of the 

 method." With this as a premise an intelligent adver- 

 tising campaign should quickly create a market. The 

 establishment of government-controlled plants and 

 government advertising would more quickly and thor- 

 oughly create markets, however, than the usual proced- 

 ure of private companies. Dried foods are practically 

 "new" foods, and the acquisition of a new food habit 

 by a whole people is exceedingly slow, unless the gov- 

 ernment systematically undertakes its establishment. 



