THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 153 



will cooperate in making an economic and commercial 

 success of the process so as to help establish a perma- 

 nent market with the American people for dried foods. 

 In order to do this it is necessary, first to educate the 

 people of this country to the value and the use of such 

 products, and, second, to have the dehydrated foods of 

 such attractive appearance and palatability and of a 

 price so comparable with the average price of the prod- 

 ucts in their undried form, that they may be marketed 

 in paying quantities. 



The federal government and the states, by conduct- 

 ing propaganda directed toward a general use of dried 

 fruits and vegetables, would be performing a needed 

 service toward the preservation of health, with increased 

 economy to all concerned. Advertising on the part of 

 private operators, can be done only in so far as it pays 

 them, and it would take several years and millions 

 of dollars to establish a general retail sale of dried 

 food articles. 



Furthermore it is necessary to establish standards. 

 It would be a serious error to allow an inferior class of 

 products to be put forward at this time. The movement 

 would receive a decided check. Commercially dried 

 vegetables should contain a given percentage of mois- 

 ture, scientifically correct; they should be packed in 

 proper containers, and stored in cool places. So pre- 

 pared and handled, dried foods will be 100 per cent, 

 free from spoilage. Again, blanching is expensive in 

 commercial drying, and its omission necessitates very 

 thorough drying of products to insure their preserva- 



