The Washington times., 1924-05-09
FAMILIES URGED
T0EAT MORE
PRUNES
Franklin Bell, of California As
ISOLATION, Tells of Food
Value of Fruit

Franklin Bell. for several years
advertising manager for the Sun
Maid Raisin Growers and now asso-
ciated with the Lord and Thomas
Advertising Agency. is in Wash
ington making a survey of the
domestic market for Sunsweet
Prunes, grown and packed by the
California Prune and Apricot Grow
ers Association.
Sixty thousand physicians start
their breakfast with prunes each
day because they know the value Of
this fruit" Mr.. Bell said. in an in
terview in his suite at the New
Willard Hotel.
"There Is a definite need for
prunes in everyone's diet. Almost
the first solid food given babies is
ground or mashed prunes. Ath-
letes train on prunes."
Mr.. Bell pointed out that the
prune association was fortunate in
that production has not too greatly
exceeded the demand" He said an
average crop in California was
be less this year because of the
excessively dry season in California,
the dryest in twenty-five years, he
declared
Formed During War.
The prune association, Mr.. Bell
says, was formed in the war period.
when the demand for. all kinds Of
food exceeded the supply.
with the return of peace" he
said, thousands upon thousands of
men returned to orchards. farms
and vegetable patches. Soldier con.
sumers became producers. No de-
crease in the number Of mouths to
feed followed. although there was
great increase in food production.
1.-THE prune, association, like other
California co-operatives, found itself
confronted with a real merchandise
ing problem. While It was easy to
sell during the war. it was harder
when peace came. 1t became neces-
sary to make the demand for
prunes commensurate with the sup
ply. That is the present problem
of the prune growers.
Germany Fond of Prunes.
Mr.. Bell declared Germany Il
fond Of prunes, buying the small
sizes. which are not so much in
demand here.
Mr.. Bell says that II a normal
crop is divided-a whole years sup
ply-into breakfast dishes. an aver
age of five prunes to each dish, il
will be found the per capita supply
of this fruit is restricted to twenty
breakfasts.
"In other words" he said, 'if
everyone ate but twenty dishes OF
stewed prunes a year, to say moth
ing of prune whip, prune pie OF
the other many delectable desserts
Tor which prunes are used, the
native crop would be consumed"
Mr.. Bell said further:
And while we're indulging in
figures. let the farmer think of this
The present supply of prunes ir
California is about $4,000 tons, in
Guiding all sizes. These must be
sold by the farmers cooperative
association before the new crop car
be marketed.
Farmers All Interested.
Farmers everywhere are inter
ested in the cooperative movement
There Is a raisin, walnut, lima
bean. orange. rice. peanut. cotton
and other associations. Co.opera
ton, like charity. begins at home
and the farmers themselves can dc
much to insure the success of co
operative marketing by buying an6
eating the food they themselves
produce. For instance. the present
crop of prunes in California will be
consumed if the farm families ir
the United States serve prunes ter
times for breakfast. If they eat
! prunes once a week for ten weeks