152 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



The policy of the Department of Agriculture in regard 

 to the use of the drying fund of ^250,000 appropriated 

 by Congress, will be of great economic significance. 

 Such a fund has been strongly needed, and makes 

 possible enlarged and nation-wide help in the urgent 

 matter of drying vegetables and fruits, and placing 

 them in the homes of the people. 



The appropriation will be used in conducting further 

 experiments with dehydration of food products and 

 carrying this knowledge to the American people. The 

 Secretary of Agriculture has appointed Major S. C. 

 Prescott, who was in the food division of the surgeon 

 general's office, United States army, and Mr. Lou D. 

 Sweet, of the United States Food Administration, as a 

 committee to carry out the purposes of the appropria- 

 tion. Major Prescott was professor of micro-biology at 

 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before he 

 was called into war service. 



When the appropriation became available, plans were 

 promptly made for beginning the dehydration experi- 

 ments. Able construction engineers and other experts 

 whose services could be helpful were called in to aid in 

 this work which Mr. Sweet characterizes as "one of the 

 biggest benefits that has come to the American people 

 as a result of the vi^ar. " Soon after the committee was 

 organized plans were under way looking to the construc- 

 tion of several dehydration plants with a capacity each 

 of from 60,000 to 100,000 pounds daily of raw product. 



These plants are not to be built by the government 

 but by private corporations with which the government 



