St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-04-25
|. A. WOOD URGES
PRODUCTION AND CON-
SERVATION OF FOOD

Following is the address of County
Agent Leland A. Wood, delivered sun
day afternoon at the meeting to urge
the production and conservation of
food. Mr.. Woods talk gives much in
formation as to the elimination of
waste. and successful food production.
Mr.. Wood said:
1t is indeed different for us to
realize that we are actually at war
with one of the most powerful nations
in the world.
This countrys food supply in the
past may be compared with a man
who marries Il spendthrift wife. 1t
makes no difference how much money
he earns, she can spend4it faster than
he can earn it. So with our food
supply: mo ematter how great our
production, ii has been used unecon-
imically and wasted as fast as it could
be produced. Do you know that the
annual food waste in the United States
is conservatively estimated at over
$7,000,000? In other words we waste
annually one-lifth of the vast sum re-
Gently appropriated by Congress to
carry on this great war. How is this
IOOu WuSleu, you may uSk.
Good food is wasted:
/. If it gets into the garbage pail.
2. If allowed to spoil in the home.
3. If ruined by careless cooking
4. BY careless pairing and trim
ming
5. When too much is served at a
meal
Make saving rather than spending
your social standard.
President Wilson hits the keynote
Of the situation when he states III his
great proclamation:
This is the time for America to cor
Frect her objectionable fault of waste
sfufness and extravaganza. Let every
man and every woman assume the
tlutN of careful, provident use and eX-
penditure as a public duty as q die
tate of patriotism which no one can
now expect ever to be excused or for
given for ignoring.'
. We hear Il great many statements
! that Germany is starving, that she can
not hold out more than q few months.
The war officials, however, are not
planning for less than two years and
probably more
Then, too, the greatest food expert
in this country 0 am not allowed to
give his name) informs us that Ger
many can sustain herself indefinitely.
/. Let'us not underate our enemy. They
are efficient. The beginning of the
/ war found England and Wales with
/ 40.8 percent of the land in pasture.
whereas in Germany only 80 per cent
! was devoted to such uses. In Eng 4
land and Wales 90 acres in every 100
1 were in grass in clover whereas In
/ Germany, the number of acres de-
voted to these crops was only az in
every. 100. Had it not been for this
Germany could not now be feeding
her people.
We are entering this great war with
/ less than normal supply of food.
! On March 1st there was 29 per cent
/ less than normal supply of wheat.
/ 80 to 40 per cent less corn, SO per
cent less potatoes and corresponding
| shortage of other staples.
1 Notwithstanding this we must SUP
i ply ourselves with food, sustain ali
i enormous army, a great navy and also
must furnish food for a large part of
/ the nations with whom we have nUtv
/, made common cause and by whose
sides we shall be fighting. Therefore,
we must produce more food than eyer
! before and produce it efficiently. And
! more important than this we must
conserve our supply and be efficient in
! It's use. .17s. =
How are the farmers of Caledonia
county and the other citizens going to
! help in this great crisis? The farni-
ers will increase their acrea ge OF corIt
1 oats, barley, bean and potato crops.
/ Every effort will be made to increase
I livestock holdings by enlarging fofs
\ age SUPPLIES. by improved feeding
methods, by more effective control 'df
! contagious diseases and by the inhi-
l)ton of premature slaughter.
Milk production may be increased,
and the growth Of quick meats slhrl.
as poultry and pork will be suhstaa-
TALLY increased.
The farm labor supply is the limit
4 ing factor of the whole matter.
h 4 believe that indescriminate enlist
d ment from the farms should be- fis-
q couraged; that the plan for public de-
fense should include definite proyi-
sons for enlistment of men in the
/ Confined on page 6.)