The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-16
3 MILLION STRONG
Ought to Have That Many Gar
denS in United States.
Estimate They Would Cut III. c.
L. $50 Million.
20 BU. SPUDS TO FAMILY
Say Bean First Aid to Over
throw III. C.. l..
Expert VrOOman Tells How to
Prepare Them.
20 BU. SPUDS TO FAMILY
BY Carl VROOMAN.

Assistant Secretary OF Agriculture
Member of the National Emergency
Food Garden Commission.
written for Topeka State Journai.)
Washington. April 16.--Without go
ing beyond their own dooryards mil
lions of American women can render
real service to the nation. This service
is as real as that rendered by the SOL
der on the field of battle. 1t is to
plant and care for the little plot of
land that lies back of the house-to
make a home garden.
One million dooryard' gardens
planted in our suburbs and cities TINS
spring would mean a national saving
of possibly $50,000.000, a sum Is large
as that which President Mckinley was
given by congress for the prosecution
of the Spanish-American war. Grow
ing vegetables for home consumption
in these gardens would relieve the rail-
roads of the necessity of carrying mil
lions of pounds of bulky freight thus
releasing thousands of cars and en-
gines for hauling men and munitions.
Vegetables Instead of Flowers.
Our experts have calculated that an
average American family uses about
20 bushels of potatoes a year. 1t
takes but a fraction of an acre to
produce this quantity of this important
foodstuff since fair yield of this crop
is 200 bushels in a season, and it is
not uncommon for potatoes to run to
Radishes, lettuce, early beets, beans,
peas, tomatoes. spinach and numerous
easily cultivated vegetables can be
raised in the back yard provided
the soil is fertile and intelligence is
employed in the process. There is no
reason in the world why 100000
backyard gardens should not be
planted this spring, planted as soon
as the ground is warm enough, and
supply 100000 families with good,
cheap, nutritious foods all this sum-
mer, war or no war.
The hitherto wasted resource of our
dooryard land should be utilized at
once. 1t is no more work for woman
to tend a vegetable garden than it is
to tend a flower garden or a house
plant. At present it is more patriotic
to subordinate flowers to food.
Soy Bean Abounds in Protein.
Washington, April 16.-Among the
simple, nutritious foods which should
be listed on every housekeeper's pro-
gram of home preparedness is the
| Soy or Togo Jean. 1t is used for hu-
man food in Japan and other countries,
tho not much yet in this country.
| When soy beans sell for Is cents a
quart. 10 cents worth will supply
over ounces of protein. Ten cents
worth of beef at 20 cents a pound
contain &c per cent protein, IS per
cent fat and % per cent carbohydrates
as compared with 26.4 per cent pro-
tein, l per cent fat, and 81 per cent
carbohydrates in navy beans.
| This not only makes them a fatty
| food but it makes it possible to cook
them without the addition of pork or
other fat Soy beans can be used in
almost exactly the same way as navy
beans.
To prepare baked soy beans, soak
the beans over night in cold water; in
the morning add a pinch of soda and
boil the beans in the water in which
they were soaked. Pour off the water
and use it for making soup. Put the
beans in a baking dish, add two level
teaspoonfuls of salt, cover them with
water. cover the dish and bake to
s hours, leaving the dish uncovered
during the last hour. It's unnecessary
to flavor them with molasses as their
natural flavor is delicious.
Instructions to the Cook
| Since the soy bean contains no
starch the liquid in which they are
cooked isn't thickened and the beans
remain separate. If this is considered
! Objectionable, the liquid can be thick
ened with corn meal, one-third of a
cup to a quart of beans
! The skins of the soy beans can be
removed by boiling the beans for ten
minutes and allowing them to cool
over night in the same water and then
rubbing between the hands. Most per-
| sons prefer the beans without the
skins. They have a more delicate
| flavor and are, probably. more diges-
| tible when thus DreD3red