The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1918-05-24
HOES AND RAKES CAN BE
MADE AS USEFUL AND AS
HONORABLE AS RIFLES.

NtA4u. ~ 10 Why hOAS anu thCAC NhI
an individual is found who can loo
ahead in the future and determine b.
reason and deduction what he ough
to do to prepare for the condition
which his judgment tells him vii
arise.
The almost universal Discrimination
to think about tomorrow makes the
task of warning people against the
dangers of tomorrow a really discour,
aging one.
The few men who have technical
knowledge of the actual food supplies
of the world have told US and contin-
ue to tell us that shortage of food in
every civilized country is sure to come
before this year is gone unless the
most unusual and most extraordinary
efforts are put forth to conserve food
stocks and to increase food production.
And yet we are pretty sure that these
thoroughly justified warnings have lit
tie or no effect upon the average citi-
zen.
We Americans think of famine as a
disaster that occasionally occurs in
parts of Russia, as something no more
apt to occur in this country of ours
than one of the plaques which decimat-
ed the nations in the dark ages. But
as true as you are alive many thous-
ands of Americans will not only be
upon short rations but will be desper.
ately near to the hunger which enfee-
bles and kills unless the energies Of
the nation are multiplied and the pro
duction of food increased.
If We only would do it we could pro-
vide food enough and to spare by the
universal cultivation of small plots of
ground. In the aggregate there are
many millions of acres of soil lying
about unused in the shape of vacant
lots and back yards upon which the
labor Of elderly men and women and Of
children could grow enough foodstufts
this spring and summer not only to
feed our own people, but to assist ma
terially the friendly peoples in Eu-
rope who are sure to be distressed if
we are not able to assist them.
There is altogether to much talk
about wheat, as if wheat were the only
food that could sustain individual and
national life. AS matter of fact.
more than half the population of the
globe live theirlives out without eat
ing wheat at all. There are many mil
lions Of people in India who never taste
meat either.
There is no fact better established
than the fact that individuals, and ma
tons, too, can exist and can maintain
their physical and mental energies up
on a purely vegetable diet.
Of course, we are all accustomed to
the use Of wheat and meat as the sta
pie and the principal articles of our
diet, and it is a good diet, too, and one
which cannot be improved upon and
one that ought not to be changed in
normal times.
But since these are not normal times
and since there is not going to be
enough wheat and enough meat n
feed ourselves and to feed the fighting
peoples across the sea, we ought to
have sense enough not only to adopt
temporarily diet composed almos-
wholly of vegetables, but we ought to
have sense enaugh to utilize our un-
used soil and otherwise unused labor
Of old men, and women and children
to grow vegetable foodstuffs which we
will surely need.
Experience proves that great enter
prises left to individual initiative sell
dom succeed, and if this matter of /
small gardens is left to the inclination
and will of each individual we can be
pretty sure that the total results viii |
be disappointing.
Much has been done. Much remains
to be done. We believe the national
war garden commission should be
given great deal of power in hand
ling of the great task that has been