THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 153 
will cooperate in making an economic and commercial 
success of the process so as to help establish a perma- 
nent market with the American people for dried foods. 
In order to do this it is necessary, first to educate the 
people of this country to the value and the use of such 
products, and, second, to have the dehydrated foods of 
such attractive appearance and palatability and of a 
price so comparable with the average price of the prod- 
ucts in their undried form, that they may be marketed 
in paying quantities. 
The federal government and the states, by conduct- 
ing propaganda directed toward a general use of dried 
fruits and vegetables, would be performing a needed 
service toward the preservation of health, with increased 
economy to all concerned. Advertising on the part of 
private operators, can be done only in so far as it pays 
them, and it would take several years and millions 
of dollars to establish a general retail sale of dried 
food articles. 
Furthermore it is necessary to establish standards. 
It would be a serious error to allow an inferior class of 
products to be put forward at this time. The movement 
would receive a decided check. Commercially dried 
vegetables should contain a given percentage of mois- 
ture, scientifically correct; they should be packed in 
proper containers, and stored in cool places. So pre- 
pared and handled, dried foods will be 100 per cent, 
free from spoilage. Again, blanching is expensive in 
commercial drying, and its omission necessitates very 
thorough drying of products to insure their prescrva- 
