138 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



satisfactorily used for army rations. Products thus 

 kept unchanged in quality and flavor for eighteen years 

 might reasonably be supposed to keep well almost 

 indefinitely. 



Naturally enough, most of the conservation of food 

 so far accomplished through drying has been done by 

 housewives in their homes. 



Home drying is profitable both to the household and 

 the nation; but if a neighborhood or community pools 

 its expenditures for equipment and works as a unit, a 

 larger amount of material may be dried with greater 

 convenience and a considerable saving of labor, time, 

 and fuel. A bigger drier than could be put into a home 

 kitchen can be set up in a schoolhouse, parish house, 

 clubhouse, or other accessible place for common use in 

 drying; and definite hours of duty can be assigned to 

 different persons. Such, in general, is the plan of neigh- 

 borhood or community drying. Details as to how much 

 material each person may bring at one time, just when 

 such material shall be brought, and who shall be on 

 duty to regulate the drier, should be worked out by a 

 small committee, preferably of three persons. 



Each woman should prepare her own products and 

 leave in good order the utensils she has used. When 

 people arenovices at drying it is advisable to hire a paid 

 expert for a short time, and if the arrangement for a 

 common drier is to cover the entire community, the 

 continuous services of at least one salaried person are 

 necessary. Some one is also required to do regular 

 cleaning in the quarters used. This may require an 



