Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-07-27
THE GOSPEL OF THE CLEAN
PLATE.
(Appeal Issued by Tazewell Ccounty

Agricultural Council of Safety.
The great war now waging has
! brought new and weighty RESPONSE
biiities to the American people. In
this worldwide war for the freedom
OF the world, the United States will
play an important part, in furnishing,
not only men and munitions, but food
for our brothers over the seas as we'll
as for our own vast army. Therefore,
the food supply of America must be
conserved. A nationwide campaign
is on to increase production and con-
serve what is made. The watchword
now is Economy" The slogan
Waste No Food. This does not mean
that we are not to eat enough, or
skimp in the matter of clothing, etc,
only waste nothing. What is vast
ed in American homes, we are told,
would go far towards supplying our
army with food.
Waste in the Homes and on the Farm.
Here are few significant facts:
Some one has said that the war is
to be won or lost lin the kitchens OF
Anne rica and that this is war of
biscuits, rather than bullets. The ex-
travagance and waste in the homes
of the people is startling. Consider
a few facts. "There are" says u
prominent magazine writer, twenty
million homes in America. If each
home wastes on an average of one
slice of bread a day the waste will
amount to Id million ounces of flour,
over $4,000 pounds, or enough flour
for over million one-pound loaves
of bread a day. For year at this
rate there would be waste of one
and half million barrels of flour
Il year"
There are in Tazewell, in round
numbers, 10000 people, 600O homes.
If each family wastes only one ounce
of flour, Ia small biscuit) per day, it
amounts to n wastage of 6S4 bar
rels of flour per year.
Take meat. To waste one ounce of
meat day, means, in the course of
a year, 684 two hundred pound hogs,
and 10 pound shoat over. These
figures are startling, but absolute
ly correct, except that they are too
small. Not family in this county
but wastes in one way or another,
twice as much meat and flour as is
stated here. Take sugar. Sugar is
high. One ounce, about table spoon
full, wasted each day in each home in
the county amounts to over siXty-fve
barrels of sugar. These estimates,
and figures are conservative. To null
tiply them by four would no doubt
give results more nearly correct. Of
course scraps fed to chickens and
pigs are not wasted, but fed to dogs
and cats or thrown into the sink, or
allowed to be wasted by children is
clear loss.
Take coal as another source Of
leakage Experts tell us that the
best flues consume only about 20
per cent of the coal burned. The 80
per cent goes off in gases, or is
thrown in cindcrs, ash and malt burnt
coal. The open CRATE wastes much
more as managed in the average
home. With coal at Il high price it
becomes q matter OF Importance to
save every pound.
Wastage on the Farm.
1t is estimated that of every 100
bushels of wheat grown at least 10
per cent never reaches the mill or
market, and of corn still larger per
centagc. Insects, rats, bad and care
less handling, shocking, and hauling,
threshing and careless sacking, etc,
causes the loss of MILLIONS of bushels
Of grain in the United States every
year. Hundreds of bushels of ap-
pies and other fruits, vegetables, ETC.,
are allowed to go to waste every
year. 1t is impossible, of course, to
eliminate all wastage, but evedy pound
of food stuffs possible should be saved
at all times but now particularly,
when we will soon have some half
million soldiers of our own in the ar
my to feed, besides furnishing sup
plies to our friends overseas, who
must have our help if the war is to
be won.
The committee offers the follow
ing suggestions:
/. That economy in cooking and
serving food be considered. Preach
the "Gospel of the Clean Plate"
which means take no more on your
plate than you can eat, which means
again, cook no more than is neces-
sary for the meal. Not eat Less"
but "Waste Less" is the slogan.
2. Get rid of worthless dogs and
cats, and feed a pig instead.
3. Save vegetables and fruits for
winter use by preserving, canning
and storing everything possible.
4. Greater care in saving the pres
ent crops and early preparation for
a greater crop next year.
S. Read the bulletins and other ar
ticles on home and farm management
and economy. Our people lack infor-
nation on these subjects.
No starvation or miserly policy is
urged or even thought of. Eat and
wear what is needed and necessary.
Only waste nothing. Waste no food.
Preach and practice the gospel of the
clean plate and these things it is our
duty to observe in peace as well as in
war times.
By order Of
TAZEWELL BRANCH AGRICUL-
TURAL COUNCIL OF SAFETY