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By CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President

National War Garden Commission we'd stand with our backs to the

wall." That call to the civ ilized

world, made by Gen eral

Haig in the spring of 191 8, has

brought and still must bring answer

from the women. Only by their co operation

has it been possible for that

call to be answered, for no nation can

do a great work unless the women of

that nation put their influence into

the job.

We were forced into a war which

was something more than a war to

decide policies or mark boundaries

—

a war involving the most sacred

questions with which men and

women have to deal— the sanctity of

womanhood, the sacredness of child hood

and the right to live in free dom.

We could not yield these rights

while we had the strength to defend

them.

In the emergency created by this

war the question of food goes hand

in hand with thrift. Our position

has been no less closely involved in

the conflict than that of Europe. In

proof of this let me call attention

to the plan the enemy had for us. I

quote from a book called "War," by

Klaus Wagner, published in 191 6 in

Berlin. On page 165 the author says:

"Not only North America, but the

whole of America must become a bul wark

of German Kitltur, perhaps the

strongest fortress of the Germanic

races. That is every one's hope who

frees himself from his own local Eu ropean

pride and who places race

feeling above his love for home."

Mark that well — his race feeling

above his love for home; and then let

me quote one of the thousands of let ters

received by the National War

Garden Commission. Here it is, from

a boy:

" I have decided to help win the

war by having a war garden, and I

have just read your notice that any

one can have a free garden book.

Please send it to me. My father

joined the army in 1915 and was

killed in 1916. — Harvey Cameron,

New Glasgow, Nova Scotia."

That boy is typical of the boys and

men of many nations who have been

fighting against the common enemy.

If they could look the job in the face

that way, what can we do? Our boys

have been giving their lives toward

the achievement of victory. Every

mile of reclaimed territory in devastated

France and Belgium adds hundreds

of hungry mouths to be fed.

With France and Belgium liberated

many more people have become de pendent

on this country's food sup ply.

In victory we must feed not

only more millions abroad but also

care for our own people at home and

our soldiers until they return. Peace

cannot mean an increase of the

world's grain supply for another year

at least, and it will take several years

of bountiful crops to refill the empty

bins and granaries of the world.

Victory, therefore, must necessarily

bring a large increase in our obliga tion.

We must not only produce

food as close to the kitchen door as

possible, but we must save a vast vol ume

of this food for winter use. To

save it we must can it, dry it, or otherwise

prepare to have it in readiness

for the months of non-production.

Canning and drying, therefore, are as

imperative to-day as if the war were

just beginning.

PART I

HOME CANNING MANUAL

To save vegetables and fruits by canning this year is a patriotic duty. War

has made the need for Food Conservation more imperative than at any time

in history. America is responsible for the food supply of Europe. The

American family can do nothing more helpful in this emergency than to

Can All Food That Can be Canned. In this way the abundance of the summer

may be made to supply the needs of the winter.

CANNING IS FOOD THRIFT

The National War Garden Commission's

campaign for five million or more War Gardens

lias brought about the creation of a vast

food supply hitherto greatly neglected. To

utilize this to the best advantage calls for

Canning operations in every household

throughout the nation.

The preservation of foodstuffs by Canning

is always effective Food Thrift. It enables

the individual house hold

to take advantage

of summer's low prices

for vegetables even if

no garden has been

planted. It effects the

saving of a surplus of

foodstuffs that would

otherwise be wasted

through excess of sup ply

over immediate

consumption. It elimi nates

the cold storage

cost that must be added to the prices of

commodities bought during the winter. Of

vital importance, also, is that it relieves

the strain on transportation facilities of

the country. This phase has been especially

emphasized for this year by the unprecedented

traffic situation. All this increases

the need for Home Canning and proves that

this is a national obligation.

CANNING MADE EASY BY MODERN

METHODS

By the Single Period Cold-Pack method it

is as easy to can vegetables as to can fruits,

and this year it is more useful. By the use of

this method canning may be done in the

kitchen or out of doors. It may be done in

the individual household or by groups of

families. Community canning is important

in that it makes possible the use of the best

COLD -PACK IN THE SOUTH

In some parts of the Southern .States

there has been complaint as to results

obtained in the use of the Single Period

Cold-pack method, but inquiry and re search

have shown that in most cases the

trouble arose from lack of care in following

instructions or the use of poor rub bers,

and was not to be blamed on the

method itself. With proper care and per fect

cleanliness the results in the South

are as good as elsewhere.

equipment at small individual outlay and

induces Food Conservation on a large scale.

Community canning by school children, under

the direction of competent teachers, is espe cially

valuable.

This Manual presents all necessary in structions

for canning vegetables and fruits,

in a manner which may be so readily understood

that the work is no longer a problem,

but is so simple that

any adult or child may

do it with success.

COMMUNITY

WORK

One of the best

methods to follow in

canning and drying

operations is for sev eral

families to club

together for the work.

The work may be carried

on at a school house, in a vacant store room,

at the home of one of the members or

at some other convenient and central loca tion

where heat and water can be made available.

By joining in the purchase of equip ment

each participant will be in position

to save money as against individual pur chases

and at the same time have the ad vantage

of larger and more complete equip ment.

The cost is slight when thus divided

and the benefits very great to all concerned.

For a co-operative enterprise it is well to

have a committee of from three to five to take

charge of all details. First determine how

many people will take part in the work, how

much each proposes to can or dry, what

vegetables and fruits each will furnish and

such other information as will have a bearing

on the selection of equipment. After

deciding how much money will be needed

PART II

HOME DRYING MANUAL

Drying vegetables and fruits for winter use is one of the vital national

needs. As a national need it becomes a patriotic duty. As a patriotic

duty it should be done in every family.

Failure to prepare vegetables and fruits for winter use by Drying is one of

the worst examples of American extravagance. During the summer nature

provides an over-abundance. This year, with the planting of 5,285,000 home

food gardens, stimulated by the National War Garden Commission and the

United States Department of Agriculture, this abundance will be especially

large. The excess supply is not meant to go to waste. The over-abundance

of the summer should be made the normal supply of the winter. The indi vidual

family should conduct Drying on a liberal scale. In no other way can

there be assurance that America's food supply will meet our own needs. In

no other way, surely, can we answer the enormous demands made upon us

for furnishing food for our European Allies.

IMPORTANCE OF FOOD THRIFT

Winter buying of vegetables and fruits is

costly. It means that you pay transporta tion,

cold-storage and commission merchants'

charges and profits. Summer is the time of

lowest prices. Summer, therefore, is the time

to buy for winter use.

Every pound of food products grown

this year will be needed to combat Food

Famine. The loss that can

be prevented, the money

saving that can be effected

and the transportation relief

that can be brought about

make it essential that every

American household should

make vegetable and fruit

Drying a part of its program

of Food Thrift. The results can be gained

in no other way.

Vegetable and fruit Drying have been

little practiced for a generation or more.

Its revival on a general scale is the pur pose

of this Manual. There is no desire

to detract from the importance of canning

operations. Drying must not be regarded

as taking the place of the preservation of

vegetables and fruits in tins and glass jars.

It must be viewed as an important adjunct

thereto. Drying is important and economical

in every home, whether on the farm, in the

village, in the town, or in the city. For city

Fig. 1. Carrots cut lengthwise

dwellers it has the special advantage that

little storage space is required for the dried

product. One hundred pounds of some fresh

vegetables will reduce to 10 pounds in drying

without loss of food value or much of

the flavor.

This year's need for vegetable and fruit

Drying is given added emphasis by the

shortage of tin for the man ufacture

of cans. This con dition

has created an un usual

demand for glass jars.

For this year, therefore, Dry ing

is of more than normal

importance. Dried products

can be stored in receptacles

that could not be used for

canning. This is excellent conservation.

DRYING IS SIMPLE

A strong point in connection with vegetable

and fruit Drying is the ease with

which it may be done. The process is simple.

The cost is slight. In every home the necessary

outfit, in its simplest form, is already at

hand. Effective Drying may be done on

plates or dishes placed in the oven, with the

oven door partially open. It may be done

on the back of the kitchen stove, with these

same utensils, while the oven is being used

for baking. It may also be done on sheets of