156 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



called the attention of the country and its people to the 

 merit of drying as a form of vegetable and fruit conser- 

 vation. The spread of the drying idea made satisfactory 

 progress during the second season of war gardening in 

 the United States. While there was no general practice 

 of the method, nevertheless a fair beginning was made 

 which is bound to lead to widespread and more rapid 

 growth along this line in the future. The seed has been 

 sown; the home food producers of the United States 

 have seen the advantages offered by this means of saving 

 food, and more and more of them are certain topractice it. 

 The process is really very old, and has been used at 

 times by almost every people in the world. The skill 

 of the squaw in drying corn and the few fruits and vege- 

 tables which the American aborigine possessed was all 

 that stood between the Indian family and starvation in 

 the long, cold winters when game was scarce. Our 

 grandmothers made toothsome pumpkin pies from the 

 dried product, while they decorated the attic and the 

 kitchen with long rows of dried apples and peaches. 

 From the Indians they learned also to dry berries and 

 other small fruits. They possessed no glass jars and 

 few of the conveniences which every modern housewife 

 thinks essential; but they managed to vary the monot- 

 ony of the winter diet with those dried products which 

 cost them nothing but their work. The world has pro- 

 gressed rapidly in many respects during the past few 

 generations. Science and industry have provided many 

 household helps which could not be enjoyed fifty or a 

 hundred years ago. It is obvious, however, that some 



