Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-15
DON'TS FOR FARMERS
OVER IN ENGLAND

for animals due to lack of shipping
resulting from the German submarine
warfare, threatens to put the cattle,
sheep, horses. swine and poultry of
the British farmers on compulsory ra-
lions. Warning that the farmer must
be prepared for a reduction this year
of 100000 tons in the amount of feed
ing stuffs for animals has been given
by r. E. Prothero. president of the
board of agriculture. He declares
that, unless the farmers heed his
warning and place their animals on
restricted rations. the compulsory ra-
ton system will be applied. This sys-
two years.
Here are some of the "dont's' to
farmers, issued by the board of agri-
culture:
No more farm stock shows must he
held.
The number of cattle must be sub
stantially reduced before Christmas,
but the milking herd must be kept up.
Fat stock shows must not be held.
Auctioneers must not sell animals
brought to prime" condition by cake
feeding.
No corn must be given to pleasure
horses.
Cattle should be sent to market lean
er than usual.
Sheep must be killed earlier.
Next seasons Landing must be de-
ferred until more grass feed is avail
able.
Corn must not be given to pigs
No more poultry should be kept
than can be maintained on scraps and
waste food.
The restrictions heretofore govern
ing the sale OF calves are to be with
drawn.
Outlining the reasons for these new
restrictions. Mr.. Prothero said:
Owing to the lack of tonnage and
the necessity of restricting imports to
the essentials of foods and munitions
of war, the farmer must be prepared
for reduced importation of feeding
stuffs during the coming year of at
least million tons. The numbers of
live stock are larger than ever bfor.
I'm the present national crisis it is
necessary to bring in human food
rather than raw materials for food
such as feeding stuffs for live stock,
which can only be converted into a
much smaller weight of human food
'Rationing can only be avoided if
farmers generally will determine to
reduce their individual demands upon
the limited stock of feeding stuffs. The
shortage of feeding stuffs VIII become
more pronounced as the season ad-
vances, and farmers should adopt the
policy of getting their live stock as
far forward as possible upon the grass.
green crops and roots of this summer
and autumn.
There will be large call for home
produced meat, both for civil and
army needs, as soon as it can be got
ready, and stockraisers are expected to
take every step to prepare to meet
this demand. All cattle. other than
mich cows. such as sheep. and pigs
that can be got into reasonable con-
dition for slaughter on the crops
grown this season should be sent to
market"
Mr. Prothero says that the concen-
trated feeding stuffs available this
year will be only sixth of the pre-
war supply.
Now that the public is warned that
food tickets are to be the only alter
native if the voluntary rationing sys-
tenn fails, many persons are trying to
invent methods to avoid the necessity
of tickets, with their wasteful expendi-
ture of labor and paper.
One of them is a ration book, in
vented by the head of an institute of
hygiene, which is now being consid
cred by the Ministry of Food 1t is in
effect. combination of account book
and record of weights. which is to be
used by the housewife in making all
her purchases of the rationed foods.
The book would supersede grocers'
and butchers bills by a simple system
of bookkeeping. and the weights of the
staple articles would be entered by the
storekeepers at the times when the or
ders are given. There is a page for
each week, and as the total weights
can be easily added up at the end of
the week it would be possible to see
at a glance whether the regulation
amounts have been exceeded.