The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-05-17
PREPAREDNESS FOR THE
WINTERS FOOD SUPPLY
By DR.. Ernest w. d. Laufer, AgrO.
nOmist.

| nOmlSt.
Great and momentous times are for
the first time since the Civil War
again confronting the nation. The re-
sources and savings of years of peace
are again being pledged to the prose-
cution of war, more gigantic and more
relentless than any war that has been
fought in the history of mankind.
Not all of us are chosen however to
fight this great war with gun and
saber, or by blood purchase, some
must stay behind to pledge all that
they possess in the effort to produce
enough food to keep the valiant sol
diers fed and their babes and wives at
home from starvation. Our beautiful
land of unlimited resources must be
made to show its prowess in agricul-
tural production, so that none within
her boundaries shall feel the pangs Of
hunger and the degrading influence of
poverty.
Citizens and countrymen, it is your
solemn duty to produce and conserve
all of the food that it is possible to
produce and conserve. No matter how
small the garden or how tiny the num-
Der of pounds saved from waste, con-
certed effort will produce a potential
weapon against our most dangerous
enemies, hunger and food riots.
In choosing what things to grow in
the gardens, it should be borne in
mind that the crops to be consumed
at once, such as lettuce, radishes, mel
ons, ETC., are to occupy only the most
limited space, while crops that can be
dried, cooked, steam processed, or Gel
Jared should be grown as abundantly
as possible. The vegetables that are
most readily preserved by cooking or
steam processing are peas, sweet corn,
tomatoes, spinach, Swiss chard, and
cucumbers. Beets, carrots and string
beans may also be put up in this way |
either picked or in brine. Rutabagas,
turn;ps, celeriac, parsnips, as well as
carrots and beets may be placed in a
cool cellar, (the temperature Of which
should not be kept higher than 40 de-
grees Fehrenheit) in bins of dry sand,
where they will retain their usefulness
until the late spring. Cabbages, Chin
csc cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and
may be placed in cellar with
the heads down and covered with sand
taking care that they do not touch
each other, but that each is entirely
surrounded with layer Of sand.
String beans and cabbage may of
course be preserved by the fermenta
tion method in the form of saurkraut.
Parsley, sage, thyme, marjoram, sum
ner savory, basil, and celery leaves
should be dried in a cool room, pref
srably dark with an abundance Of
circulating air. For this purpose they
should be spread on newspapers in
hin layers and turned frequently, or
hey may be tied in small lunches and
from line until thorough
y dry when they should be packed in
lir tight boxes, such as baking powder
ins, etc. In gathering cabbages and
he above herbs, care should be taken !
hat they be free from dew and other
moisture as this would cause molding
nd rotting. Okra or gumbo is not {
much known in the North, it however 1
makes an excellent and nourishing ad-
ition to soups and tomatoes. This {
an be dried by cutting into quarters !
engthwise and subjecting to sunlight I
= other gentle heat and plenty Of 9