156 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
called the attention of the country and its people to the 
merit of drying as a form of vegetable and fruit conser- 
vation. The spread of the drying idea made satisfactory 
progress during the second season of war gardening in 
the United States. While there was no general practice 
of the method, nevertheless a fair beginning was made 
which is bound to lead to widespread and more rapid 
growth along this line in the future. The seed has been 
sown; the home food producers of the United States 
have seen the advantages offered by this means of saving 
food, and more and more of them are certain topractice it. 
The process is really very old, and has been used at 
times by almost every people in the world. The skill 
of the squaw in drying corn and the few fruits and vege- 
tables which the American aborigine possessed was all 
that stood between the Indian family and starvation in 
the long, cold winters when game was scarce. Our 
grandmothers made toothsome pumpkin pies from the 
dried product, while they decorated the attic and the 
kitchen with long rows of dried apples and peaches. 
From the Indians they learned also to dry berries and 
other small fruits. They possessed no glass jars and 
few of the conveniences which every modern housewife 
thinks essential; but they managed to vary the monot- 
ony of the winter diet with those dried products which 
cost them nothing but their work. The world has pro- 
gressed rapidly in many respects during the past few 
generations. Science and industry have provided many 
household helps which could not be enjoyed fifty or a 
hundred years ago. It is obvious, however, that some 
