DEHYDRATIOK OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 31 



Senator Smith of Georgia. How many bushels would it turn out 

 a day? 



Mr. Faiechild. It would turn out, according to the estimate, 500 

 bushels a day. 



Senator Kansdell. It seems to me, if we are going to ^ake a suc- 

 cess of this thing and go into it in a big way, Ave have got to persuade 

 ourselves, first, there will be a material saving to the person who con- 

 sumes these vegetables. I want to know what studies you have made 

 to show how the grocery bill of a man who eats corn, sweet potatoes, 

 or tomatoes will compare in the future with the present, when you get 

 this thing well worked up. I do not mean in an undeveloped form 

 and as compared not with the present prices but with normal prices 

 before the war. That is an important thing. If we can persuade the 

 people they are going to get these things cheaper when dried by this 

 process they will certainly take to it, if we go at it right. 



Mr. Faiechild. Senator, there is no question about their being 

 cheaper. 



Senator Ransdell. Materially cheaper — how much ? That is what 

 I want to get at. 



Mr. Faiechild. I can give you a concrete example. The Walter 

 Reed Hospital wished to test dried cabbages and turnips on 428 men. 

 We furnished them with 4 pounds of cabbage and 5 pounds of tur- 

 nips, dried. The price of the cabbage fixed by one of the reliable 

 firms was 35 cents a pound, which would make the cost of that cab- 

 bage to the hospital $1.40, approximately. The cost of the turnips 

 was 30 cents a pound, which would make it $1.50. If you look at the 

 prices prevailing to-day, which are those which the hospital has to 

 consider, the cost of 100 pounds of cabbage now is $3.50 to $4. 



Senator Ransdell. It would be the equivalent of these dried cab- 

 bage? 



Mr. Faiechild. No. The sergeant in charge told me that he nor- 

 mally used about 200 pounds of cabbage. I do not think the por- 

 tions of cabbage served were as large, but they were certainly half 

 as large, so that at the rate of 100 pounds of cabbage which he would 

 have to buy to take the place of the 4 pounds which was furnished, the 

 difference would still be there between $1.40 and $3.50. 



Senator Ransdell. That is very material saving. 



Mr. Faiechild. That is a concrete example ; and I went out there 

 myself, and interviewed the men, and Lieut. Baker, who has been 

 very much interested in these things, and the men ate these vege- 

 tables and liked them, and there was no question about the economies. 



Senator Ransdell. What was the saving on the other vegetable? 



You named one. . , , n.™ 



Mr. Faiechild. With regard to the turnips and the dinerence m 

 price it would be between $1.40 and the price of turnips to-day, which 

 I did not figure out, but which I have here. . , , . . 



And when you consider, Senator, that this is the beginning of a 

 great industry that we are pioneering, it is important, indeed. 



Senator Ransdell. I assume. Doctor, that these comparisons would 

 be even unfair toward the dehydrated product, because they would 

 naturally become very much cheaper in proportion when the people 

 learned the processes and can make them m a large way, is that not 

 correct? 



