Part II.] FOOD CONSERVATION. 113 



mail. The message was strange, and it had to be explained. 

 •Exactly as the nation had to be aroused to the fact that every 

 citizen was concerned in paying for the war and must be made 

 enthusiastic in support of the government, so the relation of 

 food to the war demanded a campaign to stimulate enthusiasm. 



Those who were most intelligent concerning this problem saw 

 clearly in the beginning that the food campaign presented three 

 sets of problems, — first, the production of food; second, the 

 distribution of food, including not only transportation but 

 reasonable apportionment; and third, the conservation or the 

 proper use of food. 



It is perfectly evident that each of these subjects is big 

 enough to demand the attention of the government, to require 

 all the experience which notable authorities can share with us, 

 and also that the understanding of the problem in the home 

 requires a re-education of the people. The city dweller who 

 has ordered food supplies by telephone has given little thought 

 to the source of these supplies, or to the problem of bringing 

 them to her door, perhaps across thousands of miles, over land 

 or sea, by train or by ship. Neither has she understood all 

 that is involved in seed time and harvest, nor has she dreamed 

 of the difficulties attending storage and delivery. In order to 

 make ''food win the war," therefore, there must be an increase 

 of understanding on the part of the government and of the 

 people. All this has been involved in the campaign. 



It will be remembered that our first awakening came with the 

 planting last spring. The vigorous committees on public 

 safety had placed the responsibility for this campaign upon 

 their committees on food production. The work of the Massa- 

 chusetts Committee on Food Production was notably strong 

 and wise. 



Let me say here what those who are present already clearly 

 understand. The Massachusetts Committee on Food Produc- 

 tion was made up of experts who had for years been con- 

 cerned with the production of food. The Federal Department 

 of Agriculture and the State of Massachusetts were repre- 

 sented by the Massachusetts Agricultural College, the State 

 Board of Agriculture, the grange in its permanent volunteer 

 organization, together with individuals whose private enter- 



