Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-26

Good food heedlessly thrown into
garbage pals. food allowed to spoil in
the household, food ruined
Wasting by improper cooking and
food destroyed by rats. mice
Eooos. and insects constitute the
heavy items In the seven-hundred-mil-
homes in this country according to ex-
perts of the Department of Agriculture.
Seven hundred million dollars is consid-
cred to be a conservative figure. In
household waste. of course, are not in
cluded the vast losses of food allowed
under improper handling or inefficient
marketing methods to spoil in transit
or in the hands Of producers or dealers.
Much of this 500. 900 waste of
food. the dietary specialists Of the de-
partment declare. is easily preventable.
That vast amounts of nourishing ma
terial are thrown out from American
kitchens and so made useless for hu-
man consumption is well established
by the returns from garbage and fer
tiliZer plants, showing the amount of
fats and heterogeneous material recovered
from city garbage.
Much of the food is thrown out, the
specialists say, because SO many people
do not know how to utilize left overs"
or will not take the trouble to keep and
prepare them.
Many persons regard the saving Of
small amounts of leftover food as un-
important II they kept accurate &C
count. however, for any period many
families would. no doubt. be astounded
by the amount of good food they are
throwing out. and by the sums they are
paying to the grocer. the butcher and
the milkman merely to replace good
food being absolutely wasted.
Investigations by experts of the de-
partment show that important amounts
OF perishable foods are made dangerous
or inedible in households because they
are exposed unnecessarily to heat, dust,
dirt or to flies and other insects.
Much milk spoils quickly because it
is kept uncovered in warm kitchens.
In other cases one or two vegetables,
beets or carrots. for instance, not need
ed Immediately are thrown out or al
lowed to spoil instead Of being used in
soups or combination dishes. Fruits
which could be stewed and kept are
allowed to spoil. Vegetables and fruits
in quantities often are stored in hot.
damp and poorly ventilated bins and
under conditions which hasten willing,
fermentation and decay.
Many housewives who complain that
children and adults will not eat break
fast cereals fail to realize that the ce-
reals they serve are undercooked ed,
scorched or improperly seasoned. and
thus made unpalatable. Most Of the
cheaper foods require careful season.
petizing: In many households. the spe-
cialists believe, proper attention to the
cooking of these cheap and desirable
foods will increase greatly their con-
sumption and. thus reduce considerably
the use OF more expensive foods eaten
instead of cereals.
Much useful food gets into the gar
bage pail because the housewife in
preparing potatoes or other vegetables
and fruit, such as apples, cuts off with
tho skin a considerable percentage of
edible material. Careless pairing of po-
tatoes may consign as much as 20 per
cent of the edible portion. including
outer layers containing valuable min
eral substances, to the garbage pail.
Many families. also, it Is pointed out
take pride in serving lavish and over
bountiful meals. Such meals lead in
evitably to waste OF food on the table
and to overeating.
Perhaps no part of the arid southwest
has attracted more attention in recent
years than San Simon
San Simon valley, in southeastern
Arizona, and adjacent
'aAtey. parts of New Mexico, in
which a new epoch Of agricultural de-
velopment was started in 1910 by the
discovery of artesian water.
In or near this valley have been found
fragments of pottery. stone imple-
ments, avis and needles Of antelope
and turkey bone. ancient irrigation
bitches. prehistoric ruins containing
corn. beans and native cotton. and
cleared tracts which may have been
used for the cultivation Of aboriginal
crops. This region was evidently once
Inhabited by more or less sedentary
peoples. who must have supported
themselves partly by hunting and part
ly by a primitive agriculture.
Civilized occupation of the region did
not begin until the sixties Of the last
century, when colony Of NMexicans
settled near the mouth Of the San
Simon creek. American cattlemen first
era zed their herds there in 1867.
Overgrazing and erosion have so dew
astated the valley in recent years that it
now sustains only a comparatively
covery Of artesian water. in 1910. there
has been a rapid influx of settlers, and
many wells have been drilled. Aside
from grazing. the. types Of agriculture
simon valley are irrigation farming by
surface water or by water from ar
tesian wells. dry farming. dry farming
supplemented by irrigation with flood
water and pumped water. and dry farming
supplemented by the use of the ada
cent range for grazing.
careful and thorough study of the
artesian and other ground waters of
the valley has recently been completed
by experts of the geological survey.
This study was made in order to fur
nish reliable Information to numerous
inquirers from all parts of the United
States. and to give all possible help to
the settlers in conserving the water
supply and in utilizing it most effect
lively.
In order better to carry on the war
Uncle Sam is trying out all sort Of
schemes. and any
Department methods are being de-
vised to try and smooth
contracts. the way for efficient
service At the suggestion of the Sec
rotary of Commerce an interdepart
mental conference was held to take up
the matter of uniform contracts and
cost accounting definitions and methods
for the government. taking up the mat
ter especially as it deals with war con-
tracts.
After considering these matters for
some time and having consulted with
business men the conference has recon-