The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-19
Call To Arms
For Farmers

Call 10 arms for the farmers, the
men in the second line trenches,
sound again in letter written by J..
w. Hallowell, director of States Ad.
mlnlstration, fthe United States
Food Administration, to Braxton
Beacham, Federal Food Administra-
tor for Florida. Mr.. Hallowells ap.
peal is, however, directed not only
to the farmers but to every individ-
ual who has foot of ground that
may be cultivated.
The greatest possible production
OF essential food products is, If pos
sible, Of even more Importance now
than last year., he urges in his let
ter, which Administrator Beacham Is
transmitting to the people of Florida
through the press. The letter fol-
lows:
Braxton Beacham, Esq,
Federal Food Administrator
Orlando, Florida.
Dear Mr.. eBacham:
We are safely through the first
year of our work and have success
fully discharged the primary duties
of the Food Administration is sus-
tanning the Allies and insuring suufii-
cient supplies for our home popula-
ton. 1t is of the utmost importance
that the flow of food products to Eu-
rope continue without interruption.
AS the problem, during the coming
year, is to obtain sufficient supply
of all staple foods, as we'll as to ef-
feet saving in particular lines, the
greatest possible production of essen
tial food products is, if possible, of
even more Importance than last year.
In the southern states particularly
there is a great opportunity for the
farmer to render an important SER
vice during the coming season. In
appealing last year for an increase
in production, we necessarily empha
sized the particular Importance of
greater production of wheat. To this
appeal for a greater wheat acreage,
the southern farmer was not always
in a position to respond.
Render South SeIf-Sustaining
We now need the farmer to real
ize that if he can increase his pro-
duction of corn and meat, and, where
possible, grow enough wheat for his
own consumption, as well as his pro-
duction of cotton, he will not only be
increasing our national supply Of
food, but will render the south self
sustaining in its food stuffs. He will
be feeding his own family and hands,
and contributing to the feeding Of the
locality in which he lives, thereby
the south Independent in
food stuffs. He will have Enormously
relieved our transportation burden so
that that portion of the products of
the northern farmer heretofore trans
ported to the South can 60 for export
to our Army and the Allies.
| realize keenl ythat with the de-
crease in labor, due to the draft for
industrial and war purposes, the
farmer is greatly handicapped, yet
little extra effort and little extra
endeavor on the part of each and ev-
cry one of us is service and sacri.
fee far less than we are asking from
our boys in the trenches.
Cultivate Gardens
Even In the south, our railway sys-
tenn is overtaxed In handling our
Army and our war materials, and the
of food stuffs and cot
ton to the consuming centers and TO
the Allies has become one of the most
difficult problems that we have TO
confront.
There is of necessity a decrease in
our agricultural labor If the people
of our towns and villages who have
the opportunity to do so can under
take the cultivation of gardens in
their extra hours, we will have ma
terially contributed to the total labor
to increase our production.
For these reasons, as never before,
every town and village that has a
scrap of available productive land for
should periodically re-
solve to make the family unit as near
ly self-supporting as possible.
The matter is one to which we can
rot attach too much importance.
Faithfully yours,
]. W. HALL0WELL.