Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-29
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory. Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

Americas pigs and cows are signed up
for an important war Job this year
feeding England.
It is their job to turn as quickly as
possible the surplus millions of bushels
of grain in the warehouses into hams,
dried milk and cheese.
England doesn't need corn or wheat.
She can hardly afford shipping space for
such bulky products. She must have
them, however, in the form of proteins-
the essential amino acids which build
nerve and muscle and are essential for
any kind of growth. The trouble with
proteins in most forms is that they are
highly perishable. Few meats can be
shipped without refrigeration, and there
is a great scarcity of ships equipped with
the proper apparatus.
The pig produces highly palatable
meats-hams especially-which are ex-
ceptionally rich in proteins and vitamins
and can be preserved for long time by
drying and smoking. Another outstand-
ing need of Great Britain is lard. During
the past month the Surplus Marketing
Administration of the Department Of
Agriculture, which has charge of the war
food program, has purchased on the open
market 1871 100000 pounds of pork and
lard. The greater part of this it is
known, is intended for England although
some will be stored for possible emer-
gency in the United States and some
turned over to the Red Cross.
Even more important as a war worker
is the mich COW. During the past month
the purchasers of food for Britain have
bought more than 100000 pounds of
American cheese, nearly 100000
pounds of dried skim milk, and 10000
pounds of dried whole milk The dried
milks are in the form of powders. Dairy
products in this form can be shipped
with only minimum of refrigeration for
the cheese.
Here again it cannot be said that all
these purchases are intended for Eng
land. They largely represent, however,
excuses over what would be purchased
for domestic needs and it is known that
a very large part Of them are already
on their way across the Atlantic
The Department of Agriculture has
appealed for an increased milk produc-
ton of from six to eight per cent during
the next year to be concentrated, signifi-
cantly enough, in areas which have ready
access to k-evaporating and cheese
plants. Already assured is about three
per cent increase in dairy herds. The rest
of the job can be done, Department of
Agriculture officials believe, through in
tenslve feeding and disposing for beef
of fewer poor mich cows this fall They
want to avoid the sharp winter drop in
milk production.
The milch-cows-for- defense program is
centered in the leading cheese producing
states-Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, New
York. Oregon, Texas, Minnesota. Michi-
gan. Tennessee, Missouri. California and
Idaho. Practically the entire cheese
surplus, it can be assumed, is intended
for Great Britain.
This should result, it is stressed, in no
increases in the price Of milk for
domestic consumption. The proposed in
crease will all be in the class of surplus
milk" for which dairy companies always
pay a low price. The Department of
Agriculture, however, proposes to make
milk production profitable to the farmer
by keeping platform under the market
with its own purchases.
OF all foods, dried skim milk comes
nearer than anything except eggs to
being perfect food. About one pound is
equal to ten pounds of fresh milk, an
enormous saving in shipping space.
Increased pork products production
also, under present plans of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, will depend on
heavier feeding of hogs already on the
farms rather than increasing the num-
bers But $50, 900 900 bushels of corn, the
largest surplus on record, must be
changed into pork in the next few
months.
Last year hog production dropped of
There was such on abundant supply OF
pork that hog prices dropped in the
| neighborhood of IS a hundred pounds,
At this price, says Secretary of Agricul-
ture Claude R. Wickard. mo farmer
could raise hogs and expect to stay in
business very long,"
The increased buying program on the
open market, it is expected, will raise
the prices to the point where raising
pigs will be profitable.
Lean pork, it is pointed out, con-
tains most of the vitamins and proteins
necessary to feed England.