Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-05-15

FOOD ADMINISTRATOR APPEALS
TO MICHIGAN PEOPLE TO
HELP USE UP SURPLUS
TUBERs.
Be LOYAL TO OUR FARMERS
sThis Il the Best Way You Can Show
Your Particular at This Time"
Prescott Tells us.

Lansing-"Eat more potatoes and
b sure they're Michigan grown"
with that slogan. the United States
Food ADMINISTRATORS for Michigan has
inauguratsd . campaign 70 encourage
the free marketing and consumption
OF the surplus potato stocks In the
State. Food Administrator Prescott has
enlisted the cooperation OF all agen-
cles Of the potato trade. state and To-
cal authorities, various organizations,
and the press. Similar campaigns are
being held In every other section Of
this country and during the next few
weeks the great potato crop OF Mich
igan and America will be moved from
producing centers to points Of con-
sumption as rapidly as the public will
consume the delectable "spuds."
ITO eat potatoes is the best kind
of local, home grown patriotism" says
Mr.. Prescott THE reason for q po-
tato campaign in Michigan is that the
food bins are heaped with potatoes as
the answer of the farmer to last years
appeal for the bumper war crops. The
potato, grown through patriotism,
should be eaten through patriotism.
With so many other things scarce, po-
tatoes, which are plentiful, should not
go to waste. And they will go to waste
IL they are not eaten in the next few
weeks.
Potatoes are strictly made-in-
America product. They grow on this
continent when the Mohawks and the
Cherokees ruled ii with tomahawk.
They are the gift of America to Europe
and Europe has gone us one better.
England. France. Germany. Belgium
have made the potato a naturalized
citizen, while Ireland, God bless her,
has almost made it a Patron Saint
along with st. Patrick himself.
I'm spite of it's adoption in other
countries, however, the potato proved
1t was a true American last year when
the crops were called to the front for
war service. 1t enlisted In the front
ranks of the food forces, with the re-
suit that We have such a potato crop
as was never known in this country.
Europe does not need to share our
potatoes. They are too bulky to ship
at this time when ships must be saved
for troops and for the more essential
and concentrated foods. Therefore,
the best form Of patriotism 10 to eat
our bumper crop and make 1t help
save wheat. n
The situation, in brief, is this,7
continued Mr.. Prescott. I'VE have not
enough wheat for the Allies and our.
selves. We have an abundance of po-
tatoes and excess of 10000, 900 bushels
over normal times. II we are to
win this war the Allies must have
wheat. The potato cannot quite come
up to wheat in food value but II does
come about as close to taking the place
OF wheat as any other food. There
fore by eating potatoes we can save
wheat for the Allies.
Michigan people should rally to
the support Of the potato, for 1t is
native of our State. When 1t is
realized that the potato is one of the
chief foods now sustaining Germany
and that the other European coun.
tries are largely dependent upon it,
its importance in the war may readily
be seen.
Americans first realized how i'm.
portant part in their daily food the
potato played when last year scarcity
of this vegetable drove its prices to-
prohibitive heights. The result of
those sky high prices still has its
effect this season. When the Spring
came, everyone planted potatoes. The
farmer was particularly urged to lay
out his land in potatoes as a patriotic
duty. Accordingly although the aver
age yield per acre was not large, there
was an abundance OF potatoes produc.
ed which have not been sold.
!. The farmer had to pay high prices
for his seed. 1t was difficult to oh.
tain labor for tending and digging the
crop and what labor he did procure
cost him two or three times as much
as ordinarily. A large item of expense
was the fertilizer which has advanced
In price because the acids II contains
ARE being used for munition making.
"As q result, many q potato farmer
is not making as much as he did sew
eral years ago when potatoes retailed
at 500 per bushel ami less. They
should certainly be encouraged to
plant potatoes this year by consunap
ton Of the crop they have produced
instead of having them rot in their
barns, or left to be fed to the hogs.
Although the potato il a native
egetable. the American per capita con
sumption Is very low, averaging only
about one-half that Of Europe. This
is probably largely due to the fact that
bread has always been high priced