Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-06
VEGETABLE FOOD
URGED BY EXPERT
AT FARMERS SHOW
R. L. Waits, President of
State College, in Opening
Speech, Suggests Means of
Lowering Living Cost.

Greater use of vegetables as a mean
of combating the high cost of living was
recommended to the consumers of the
United states by President r. L. Watts,
of state College, and president OF the
Vegetable Growers Association of
America, in his annual address at the
opening Of its seventh annual convention
in horticultural Hall today. Co-opera-
ton was the other keynote struck at the
very opening of the meeting.
LAS the cost of food products, meats
especially, becomes higher and higher,
vegetables will play larger part in the
feeding of our Millions" said Mr.. Watts.
"Tho history of every civilized nation is
that, as the population becomes denser,
meat products increase in price and
vegetables are used more largely. This
is an advantage in some respects because
1t has always been conceded that vege-
table diet is more wholesome than one
composed largely of meat If a large list
of vegetables are available for the table,
1t is possible to serve dishes which will
meet all the needs of the body and at the
same time maintain the very best health.
"By this statement [ do not mean to
advocate the exclusion OF meat from the
diet, because | believe that every family
should use at least some meat, but | do
mean to say that by making use of the
large list of vegetables which may be
grown i'm this country, II Is possible to
establish a nourishing diet without very
much meat, especially If milk constitutes a
large part of it,"
VERY few persons realize the great
value of our leguminous vegetables, which
are easily grown In every part of the
country. If peas and beans were used
more largely in the diet of the winter
months, the cost of living would be ma
terially reduced. The consumers of this
country should be educated to the greater
and proper use OF vegetables"
An appeal for greater cooperation be-
tween the producers among themselves
and the producers and consumers was
made by Mr.. Watts, Director Porter, who
represented the Mayor in welcoming the
delegates to the city, and Howard W.
Selby, chairman of the committee on ar
rangements of the convention.
IF there Is any business in need of
cooperation, it is surely that of market
gardening" said Mr.. Selby. "The market
growers of America should get together
for mutual protection through legislation
and should apply themselves to n careful
study of their problems not as individual
units. but rs an organization. We want
you to so back to your respective COM
munities and get to work along co-opcra-
ton lines. Cooperate together in solving
the problems of your particular localities.
at the same time remembering that your
greater interests are in the national asso-
ciatipn."
There Is much confusion on the whole
question of marketing" said Mr. Watts.
so much has been said recently about
bringing the producer and the consumer
closer together, that some people believe
1t is possible to entirely eliminate the
mlddleman While l recognize the fact
that it is possible greatly to increase the
quantity of vegetables which might be
sold by the producer directly to the con-
sumer, 1t will never he possible to en-
tirely eliminate the mddleman There
Is no question about the dcsirabilitv of
increasing sales as much as possible by
means OF parcel post, express and
freight shipments direct to the con-
sumcrs, but for the millions Of people in
our great centres of population we must
provide central distributing agencies
These may be cooperative and no doubt
in many instances are, but the fact re-
mains that large number of persons
VIII be required In our large cities to
serve as agents in the distribution Of
farm and garden produce.
Ihis association should stand for the
the dissemination of information on
marketing of sane character, ana not
indorse any scheme or method which has
not been tested and found wholly
practicable. The whole problem is ex-
ceedinEly difficult and complex, and de-
serves the closest attention of a standing
committee of the association We should
also give our heartiest support TO the
Government and State agencies which are
studying the problems of marketing"
striking feature of the convention is
the free and easy manner in which the
farmers from the many parts of the
country are mingllng with the scientific
eXponents of intensive agriculture, paving
them their Just due for the elaboration
of their varied theories, but at the same
time preserving a certain respect for the
old, practical home methods" Among
the authorities at the convention is
George Watson, a prominent Philadelphia
writer on agricultural topics.
In addition to the purely educational
feature of the convention, the delegates
and the public i'm general had an oppor
tunity to view one of the most elaborate
displays of farm produce ever shown
in this country. Exhibitors sent their
products from points far distant, and
worked until a late hour last night I'm
placing their exhibits on view