The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-06
Vast Economies of
RawMaterial,T rams
portation and Pack
ing Made Possible
by Process


stuffs made it necessary TO furnish sup
plies in as compact form as possible. A
while later he provided the British Gov
crnmcnt with large quantities of dchy-
drafted products for the troops in South
Africa.
These were in the form Of soup veseta-
hlcs and were made up of 40 per cent.
potatoes, 20 per cent. carrots, 20 per cent.
tunips, 10 per cent. cabbage and ID per
cent. onions, drying 100 pounds Of the
raw to about fifteen pounds Of the desic-
Gated material. Soup for about 5000 SOL
dcrs could be made from 100 pounds of
the dehydrated vegetables.
Kept 10000 Pounds for IS Years.
The Boer war terminated somewhat alb
ruptlv and the manufacturer was left with
10000 pounds of the products on his
hands. At that time there was no demand
for the commodity in either Canada or
the United States. lie packed il AWAY III
barrels, which he sealed up with parafiin.
When the present conflict broke out in
Europe he received another order from
England He opened the barrels after
they had been sealed for fifteen years and
three months. The dried vegetables APP
peared to he perfectly good, 50 lac shipped
them, and when received in Europe they
were found to be all right i'll every par
ticular.
At one vegetable drying plant in Brit
ish Columbia 100 tons of farm products
are dealt with daily. 1t is said that the
factory does all Of the work involved in
washing, cutting, drying and packing its
daily output at an expenditure of sixty
tons of fuel. The coal used is brought
direct from nearby mines, which means a
transportational economy.
Roughly, pound of coal will dry two
pounds Of raw vegetables; and if the Gov
crnment's figures of the fuel consumption
Of the breweries are correct, then in the
course Of year the coal they now burn
might be utilized in desiccating 100000
tons of green foodstuffs. Allowing for an
average shrinkage of 80 per cent, this
means an available total of ,240, 900 tons
of dried vegetables or fruits. This repre-
sents concentrated nourishment which
would call only for the addition'o water
and cooking at tie points of consumption
TO make them palatable. '' 81.
Uses $50 Tons Every Day.
According to official figures the Gov
eminent ration is based upon twenty
ounces Of food day per. fighting man.
Therefore to feed 100000 soldiers would
call for $50 tons Of green vegetables every
twenty-four hours. Clearly, if our hop
kilns and some, if not all, of our brewer
les we're devoted to the drying of food
stuffs, it would be practicable to effect an
enormous conservation of farm products
and at the same time reduce to an amaz-
ing extent the total amount of coal now
required every twelve months for the max
ing Of beer.
Our problem is not alone that Of feed
ing our soldiers and sailors both here and
abroad but also that Of utilizing the fruits
of our fields 10 the utmost. The Depart
1nent of Agriculture has stated that we
are now losing approximately 81 per cent.
of our fruits and vegetables that come to
maturity. "They are never available for
either human or animal consumption be-
cause Of losses incident to rot, poor trans
portatiou facilities, inefficient marketing
facilities, undesirable markets, changing
market conditions, &C."
If we dry in breweries and hop kilns
only half Of this reported wastage we
shall be able not only to feed ourselves
abundantly but have still larger sur
plus with which to help out our Allies.
There are numerous large drying plants
in British Columbia and there are a few
within our own borders, but we have up
to date scarcely done more than hint at
the economic possibilities Of dehydration.
If the breweries are to be diverted from