Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-08

ministration at Washington wishes the
farmers. truckers and fruit growers of
the country to be Informed of this
fact, and assured that in so far as is hu-
manly possible every effort will be
made to aid them in marketing their
crops satisfactorily the present season.
To this end the energies of the food
administra ton will be bent toward pro-
v.ding an adequate supply Of refriger
ator cars. and in cooperation with the
bureau of markets undertaking to dis
tribute perishable products as uniform
ly throughout the country as possible in
order that there may be no glut at
any one season and fair and remunera-
tive prices maintaied for the producers
of perishables throughout the United
States. This announcement is a very
important one and should set at rest
the fears of those who have been de-
batting as to whether they should plant
truck crops during the present year
and spray and care for their fruit plan
tations as carefully as in the past.
1t is now more generally and clearly
recognized than ever before that fruits
and vegetables are an important and
essential part of the human dietary,
and in view of the necessity of saving
meat, fats and other concentrated prod
ucts for shipment abroad, il is both
necessary and desirable that our own
people eat a larger proportion of fruits
and vegetables. By doing so they will
not only supply the system with desir-
able mineral salts. but a larger proper
ton of nourishment than fruits and
vegetables are supposed to contain. Our
people can cut down their consumption
of fat and of protein in the form of
lean meat with material advantage and
substitute therefor larger quantities of
perishables. In this way they will not
only be kept in good physical condition,
but great waste of essential foods
will be prevented.
Every individual should therefore I'M
dertake even on a city lot to produce as
much OF the perishables as possible and
utilize them for the benefit of his own
family. canning and preserving the sur-
Plus Tor future use. Every fruit tree
should be sprayed and pruned that the
largest supply of fruit may be made
available, not only for the land owner.
but Tor public consumption as well. The
cultivation of all sorts of
truck crops, such as lettuce, spinach.
kale, tomatoes, radishes, beans, peas
beets, tomatoes and corn should be un-
dertaken in order that our markets NAV
be adequately supplied with food lust
as essential and necessary as meat.
bread and potatoes. There is an idea,
for instance, that there has been a very
large sweet and Irish potato crop grown
in the United States, and that the de-
mand for spring Irish potatoes, for ex-
ample, will be small and the price I'M
satisfactory. There is no reason to be-
lieve that this conclusion is well found
ri
tured so as to place them on the market
relatively early, and if they are proper
ly graded, and sorted and standardized
before shipment is made, there is every
reason to believe that they will be in
good demand, and that the production of
this crop will return a satisfactory
profit to the land owner The severe and
continued freezes of the present winter
have destroyed great areas of truck
crops along the Gulf coast. Even II the
weather moderates much of this land
will have to be replanted; hence green's
and early vegetables are likely to be
scarce and late in reaching the market
the present year. 1t will take a special
effort to overcome the damage and lose
entailed by the freezes an dto again fill
our storage warehouses with truck
products suited to the requirements of
the retail trade.
Food has now become a much more
important factor in the war situation
than it was six months ago; hence we
should make a special effort to grow an
abundance of the crops in question the
present spring and summer. Even If
high prices are not obtained, it would
still be a patriotic duty and a thorough
Iy desirable thing to grow truck crops
on an extensive basis. People who wish
aF 1ar &c aN ,f-
time are not looking at the question of
food from the proper point of view. 1t
is not a question just at this time Of
what we have or what we can get for
il; il is more a question of what we
must do in order that the war may be
won quickly and decisively and that all
our vested rights and privileges may be
preserved and used for ourselves and
our children. While no true American
believes that Germany will win the
war, it is not inappropriate at times to
what would be the result and
the condition if she should win. When
ever we do this it will give us a new
patriotic view point of our duty towards
our country and ourselevs at this time,
because il must be evident to every
right thinking man that if Germany
should succeed our vested rights and
interests would be seriously endanger-
ed. Therefore, in the consideration of
any policy which shall actuate our pro-
ducers at this time, it is both their priv
ilege and their duty to view this ques-
ton from every angle and do what is
for the best interests of the country a
a whole even though it may cause some
sacrifice on their part.
AS to the attitude of the food admin
istration towards perishables, word
h DO
No attempt has been made to regulate
or stabilize the price of crops Of this
character. The reasons for this are not
difficult to understand and appreciate
If one will stop long enough to study
the situation a few minutes from an