The Monett times., 1921-11-11
SCIENCE MAKES RAPID
ADVANCE IN DEHYDRAT TTON
By Rem0Uing Water Twenty Carloads Of Food Can Be
Reduced Two Without Loss
Bv Removing

twenty carloads of any fresh fruit OF
vegetable can be reduced to two carloads,
and this without any loss of flavor or nu-
triton values. This is only one of the
great possibilities Of dehydration, according
to c.. NJ. Edmonds Of the Hammond System
OF Debydration for the State of Missouri.
This concern is forming q local organiz-
alton at Monett to build Dehydration
plant and is interested in teaching the
doctrine Of dehydration 10 the farmers and
housewives of this community. Il is not
the object of this firm to sell any Of the
dehydrated goods at this time, but to con-
vince the ultimate consumer that this is the
method OF successfully combating high
prices and Of solving the problem Of how
to obtain apparently fresh corn on the cob
for consumption during the Christmas
holidays.
1t is remarkable just what strides have
been made along this line since the first
days of the war when dehydration was
made part of the plan for the feeding Of
combatants. Today it is possible to take
tulnips, or, in fact, any vegetable or fruit,
and entirely remove the water, thus arrest
ing any pIOCeSS Ol utCOHlpOSlIl0I. A1lSi
this has been done the result may be kept
for an indefinite time, and then by merely
immersing in water can be brought back
to its original state
Germans Were Pioneers.
Germany was the pioneer in this process
but the United states has taken the lead
during the past few years. 1t is declared
on reliable authority that England had
some 10000 tons of dehydrated vegetables
left after the Boer war. This was used in
the World war and apparently the food was
just as good as when it had first been pre-
served. However, the methods of dehy-
dration have undergone a revolutionary
change since that time and the process has
been made so simple that the farmer is now
able to take advantage of advanced pre-
serving methods, both at a profit to himself
and the ultimate consumer.
1t is easy to realize just what this will
mean to the country in general for in the
past millions of pounds of fruit and veget-
abes have been left on the ground, on ac-
count of high freight rates, shortage OF
labor and various other causes. With de-
hydration plant at Monet this great loss
can be placed on the right side of the ledger
Who fails to remember the long string of
vegetables and fruits that at one time hung
from the rafters of the smokehouse.
This was but one process of dehydratlon.
In fact, the Egyptians were experts in this
line, as far as it developed back in that
time. But their process was not the ad-
vanced method which has reached per-
lection with recent years.
Old Way Unsatisfactory.
There was jingle which was popular
about forty years ago. This little rhyme
registered the turning of public opinion
against the old methods of drying fruit. 1t
follows:
And on dirty string they're strung
And from filthy pole they're hung
And there they form roost for flies
Until they're ready to make pies;
Tread on my toes and tell me lies,
But don't pass me dried-apple pies.
This jingle showed conclusively that
people were far from satisfied with the
primitive method of drying fruits During
the war, however, the whole matter OF
drying foods was gone into thoroughly by
the government, and it was brought to
high state of perfection. 1t is now possible
to dehydrate so that the cells are not
broken up and the food products remain
the same; with the addition of water they
assume their natural shape and taste.
Herbert Quick said in an article two