The Sentinel=record., 1917-05-15

| Not alone the prOductjon hut the conservation day by day of the food produ is essential at this time as
 neatly outlined bY Senator Duncan Fletcher, uho is president Of the South. orn Commercial Congress. and who lssued a statement addressed to the country a. large but particularly to the farmers of the South.
 In normal times" said Senator
 Fletcher England doe- not produce enoogn food stufs in year to last her six weeks In France millions of men have been withdrawn from the fields thousands have left their farms in Canada for the army Thousands O. farm workers have gone from the United State~ into Canada where spe-
 cioL inducements are offered.
 "Thousandcs Of young men have temporarily passed from the farms n the Tinted States 10 the factories. whore higher wages are paid Al The same time We can easily produce food enough for ourselves and all Europe We have the soil and tlqe climate
 when, while labor is essential 10 pro,
 duction, production ie sure reward
 of labor
 l 5When We consider that Germany
 Is nos ae large aa Texas by an area
 as b g as Alabama, and she must feed l some 5S000 GOO people, we should be
 ashamed, with all our territory, fertile
 lands, splendid and mild climate, to
 own 70 any uncertainty about our abili- | ty tO feed he world. Yes. and c,Othe
 |, too, For some years l have been | convinced that what we need to be
 exercised about was, not production. 1 but a proper system of diStribution.
 For some time past | have thought,
 and some of our advanced agricultural colleges have insisted, that what we
 most needed was scientific marketing methods rather than increased produc-
 ton That need is emphasized by cx | sting conditions We have laid stress on scientific farming 10 he neglect Of
 the ena.ly important matter Of scien- | tftc marketing There is no use 70 1 produce grain. vegetables, fruit, cattle
 and the like if the cost Of product'on
 ia 10 be exceeded by freights. comm is- ] ions and charges here and there, de-
 lays and waste
 "Our people engaged in agriculture
 can readily furnish all the food prod | ucts required at home and by onr friends What B needed is plan, 8 l method, a system for economically getting the products where and when l they are wanted and diaposing of them
 to the best advantage 10 both producer | and consumer There should be a mo rihzation Of ths producing power with proper agencies for distribution.
 "Another thing ls most important, some fruits and vegetables mature and mus be marketed within a few months or they are lost In that way the markets are glutted They cannot be consumed before that time The demand ceases. They rot in the field or reach he market in bad order. The remedy is to conserve these products; in some instances by canning or pro serving, and iu other cases by resort ing 10 the rather expensive alternative, cod storage.
 Provision should bc made to take care of the surplus produo ion. and have it in another but wholesome an useful form 10 feed out Nhlu -ae fresh supply is exhausted dc mol mean to ny. however. but that the time is here for every farmer 10 do his best. He can render the contry 10 higher service than 10 make two blades of grass grow where one grew before.