Fair play., 1917-05-05

ment and to show us something new
is quite impossible he said.
Naturally / was not disposed to
linger, neither was | inclined to dis
play my samples, but the alert Herr
DirektOr had seen that / had some,
and more out of politeness than any
thing else expressed a desire to see
them. 1t was plain that he was at
once interested, and before long he
had six or seven of his technical as
sociates summoned to the Office. and
they too were impressed. -ls
"The Herr DrektOr dismissed them,
and when the room was cleared, turned
| to me eagerly and said: Mr. Williams,
! name your price. did not believe
vegetables could ever be dried to look
| like your samples As our patents
were then pending In the German pat
ent office | was not prepared to come
to terms, but l left that establishment
satisfied that we Yankees had forged a
flong way ahead in very difficult ara
and l realized that we had the solution
of n veXing economic problem-the
utilization and the preservation for
subsequent consumption of millions of
tons of vegetables and fruits that would
otherwise go to waste. F
How well we have succeeded in re-
tanning the natural favor Of fresh
vegetables is evidenced by the testi-
mony of q New York housekeeper,
friend Of mine. Merely to satisfy her
curiosity I sent her package of our
dried spinach. The next time saw
her she said: Why. Mr., Williams, that
spinach was actually fresher than the
green stuff thar buy at my grocer's.
Naturally, because that spinach was
dried inside of eight hours from the
time it was picked, while the provision
store was selling spinach anywhere
from a week to ten days old.
1--WE treated the vegetable when II
was succulent and fresh and full fla
vored. The store article had been de-
teriorating for days before 1t was
cooked. Upon this subject we read
something rom n government report:
"'Only those that have been accus-
toned to eating green vegetables fresh
from the garden realize in what poor
condition are many of the vegetables
sold To the city buyer. Some varie-
ties, as green peas, are so delicate in
flavor that even few hours removal
from the vines brings about n change.
Indeed, the market gardener has been
obliged to develop the keeping quail.
ties of vegetables and fruits at the
.,f np, t.hf
and transported only short distance
the deterioration In most vegetables
is not noticeable. but il closely packed
for any length of time changes due
to the action Of engines or ferments
normally present in the living tissue
takes place, with n consequent loss of
flavor
Further, the same report calls at
tentiOn to n very common spectacle in
and about our markets: The huckster
in his off hours may often he seen
off the wllted outside leaves
of celery cabbage and lettuce, and
giving n fresh surface to the stem. and
rlnsug or sprinkling the
lettuce with water not infrequently
far from clean. The beets which are
left over, after losing little by little
their tops are sold by measure to who
ever will buy
The department of agriculture Is
the authority for the statement that
not less than 80 per cent of the fruits
and vegetables grown in the United
STATES never reach the consumer. OF
course, large part OF this is vast
ed or thrown away or destroyed be
cause the price does not warrant the
farmer in shipping them
"Why shouldn't these products be 50
that they would keep I'm.
definitely and be welcome upon any
-able? 1t is possible by our drying
process to preserve these fruits and
in forms that are bound to
,e n boon To the housewife and com
'Ort to the family purse. Our dried
products, for instance can be sold al
, lower price than the normal retail
market price for green stuffs, and we
should only find fresh vegetables for
nidable competitors when there is an