The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-08-02
American Cans &.
By Frederick J. Haskin.

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 27.-This
is the day OF the can. The people of
America are turning the country into
one great cannery. From San Francis
co to New York and back again, by any
route you choose to take, you will find
the womanhood of the nation and con-
siderable portion gifts manhood as well,
working overtime to store the succulent
summer vegetable against next winters
need. This is one part of Americas
response to the food-saving appeal, and
it is encouragingly enthusiastic and
whole-hearted.
We have never had anything like it
before. The home canning of tomatoes
has long been common, the preserving
of certain fruits is an institution haIlow-
ed by tradition in most American homes,
but now we are canning all sorts of
things that we never canned at home
before, such as beets and corn and
beans and peas. 1t is certain that
vast quantity of food that would other
wise go to waste is being preserved in
this manner. 1t is certain that hun
dreds of thousands are learning an art
that will be worth many dollars to them
annually, and many tens of millions of
dollars to the nation, war or no war.
And the way we are taking hold of this
canning campaign is an encouraging
sign for those who say that America is
still too little awake to the needs of
war. The nation is not going ahead to
meet its trials and its tasks; it is taking
them as they come.
The average citizen cannot extermi-
nate submarines or build environments
or prepare an aeroplane program. About
the only chance he has had so far actual
" to do anything is in connection with
the food conservation campaign. The
word went forth to plant gardens, and
a million more gardens were planted.
Now the word goes forth TO can vege-
tables and every family with a garden
turns to canning, besides hundreds of
thousands of others who are buying
cheap vegetables in the markets to pre-
serve against the winter shortage.
The Department of Agriculture is at
the head of the movement ard at times
the movement threatens to run away
with the department A booklet de-
scribing the new old-pack canning pro-
cess was issued by the government
specialists a few weeks ago. Ever
since the report got out that such a
book was in existence, the department
itself and every other agency that
looked promising, has been buried from
view beneath flood of requests for the
canning book. The Government Print
ing Office, which already had its troubles
what with the fifty or sixty million pieces
of printed called for to operate
the selective draft, got an additional
order for a million copies of these il
lustrated canning volumes, and with all
its unrivalled facilities, it has been
about two jumps behind the demand
ever since. The States Relations Ser
vice, which conducts the field campaign
and the demonstration work through
thousands of agents, wanted canning
book hundreds of thousands of them.
Congressman wanted them; Senators
wanted them; the great American pub
lie wanted them. The printing office
for weeks was running race against
time, for the canning season doesn't
last forever.
However, practically everybody who
has anything to can has now gotten
directions for canning it. The rush of
requests is chiefly significant as a very
faithful mirror of the nation wide in
terest in canning and those who had
chance to look them over have no doubt
as to the serious purpose of the writers.
They were people who had vegetables
and who were determined to get them
canned and from the tone of their let
tiers there is not much doubt that they
have done it.
The Stat IS Relations Service through
its county agents, started the home
canning demonstration into new fields.
Ordinarily. his work., or her work is
confined to the rural districts. Now
the cities are probably canning more
than. the country. Mr.. H. H. Benson,
head of the work in the northern and
eastern states, gave demonstration on
Broadway, and drew" better than a
European star or musical comedy.
New York is enthusiastic over the cam
paign, and so is practically every other
big city in the county.
In the rural districts the thiag is less
of a novelty, but more of a success.
The canning eluD idea has proved very
popular, especially that of the so called
Mother Daughter clubs, where families
can in competition for quantity and quail
ty. The champion Mother Daughter
club of Kansas, at LeaYenworth. last