bushels we take into account the vegetable gardens for the year, the campaign for increased food production may upon the whole be regarded as having been highly successful.

THE INCREASE IN TEXTILES, METALS, AND COAL.

It is not the purpose of this general set of lectures to go into detail in regard to the increased production of these classes of commodities. The acreage of cotton stimulated by the high prices of 1916 has been largely expanded this year. Suffice it to say that all of the cotton and woolen mills are running to full capacity, whereas before the war textile mills have usually been idle a considerable part of the year. Also there has been an expansion of the capacity of the textile mills. As we have seen (p. 26), the production of iron ore, and consequently of iron and steel, for the year 1916 was the greatest in the history of the United States, and even this great production will be vastly exceeded in 1917.

These great results have been achieved by running the iron mines and mills to fullest capacity, and also by further development of the mines and by building extensions to the mills.

The United States Steel Corporation, for instance, is spending vast sum of money in putting in thorough repair the mills already existing, in the expansion of mills, and in new mills. During the year 1916 this corporation spent more than $67,000,000, which was charged to ordinary maintenance and repairs, and for new construction more than $6,000,000. For new construction the first half of the year 1917 the corporations spent $43,000,000. This is but a type of what is happening in proportion to magnitude for all of the steel concerns of the country.

The production of coal for 1917 will be vastly increased over that of 1916. The shortage of coal has not been so much due to lack of development of the coal pits as to the incapacity of the railroads to furnish cars. However, the railroads of the country are for the first time in their history acting as a unit instead of independently. By voluntary action the railroad managers have created a committee, headed by Daniel Willard, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, with the purpose of organizing the transportation service, and especially the freight service, so that the highest efficiency shall be obtained. Already it has been announced that the railroads have an increased efficiency of 16 per cent for freight. This increase in the efficiency of the railroads has been a fundamental factor in increasing the production of coal to meet the demands of the Nation.

ELIMINATION OF WASTE AND READJUSTMENT OF FOOD PROGRAM.

As we have seen, the campaign has been carried on for an increased production of agricultural products for the year 1917, and already the Secretary of Agriculture has begun a campaign to increase the production of cereals for the year 1918. For the year 1917 the season is far enough advanced so that we can gauge the situation somewhat accurately. The shortage for this year is especially acute for wheat, sugar, meats, and fats. The situation for these commodities is substantially as follows:

WHEAT.

This year the Argentine wheat crop was nearly 100,000,000 bushels short, she producing only about 77,000,000 bushels. The shortage is so great that she has placed an embargo upon the export of wheat. The Australian and Indian wheat is not available more than in small part because of the shortage in shipping. Russian wheat is wholly unavailable outside of Russia. The wheat of Bulgaria and Roumania goes to the central powers. Last year the United States wheat crop was short of an average crop by nearly 150,000,000 bushels, and Canada produced little more than a half crop. The result is that the reserve of wheat in this country at the beginning of the harvest is very small, somewhat more than 100,000,000 bushels. This is but a fraction of the amount which is ordinarily available at that period of the year. This carry-over should be preserved as a minimum safeguard against a year of excessive shortage due to drought and other possible causes. Considering, therefore, only the crop at present being harvested, the situation for North America is approximately as follows:

The wheat crop of the United States, according to the estimate of the Department of Agriculture for August, will be 653,000,000 bushels. The Canadian crop will again probably be short because of insufficient labor. It may be conservatively estimated at 250,000,000 bushels. This makes a total for the United States and Canada of 903,000,000 bushels. Normally, the quantity of wheat used for flour in the United States and Canada is about 555,000,000 bushels. For seed and other industries another 100,000,000 bushels will be required. This would allow for exportation to the allies from North America 248,000,000 bushels. The allies need 550,000,000 bushels. Thus the shortage may be estimated in round numbers at 300,000,000 bushels.

For the reason already given, it is clear that the only great reservoir from which this wheat can be secured is North America; but the best that can be done, even if the conservative program proposed below is carried out, will be to furnish the allies in the neighborhood of 400,000,000 bushels. The other 150,000,000 bushels must be made up by substitute cereals.

SUGAR.

Just as there is a world shortage of wheat, so there is a world shortage of sugar. The production of sugar in France has been greatly reduced and none is available from the central powers. Germany especially produced under normal conditions vast quantities of sugar, much of which was available for export. The main available sources are Cuba, Hawaii, the Philippines, and the United States, since the sugar of Java can not readily reach the market. Computations indicate, if the allies are to be furnished with the barest necessities in the way of sugar, that we should reduce our consumption by one-fourth; that is, from 4 ounces to 3 ounces per person per day. This ounce, which seems small for the people of the United States, means for a year the vast total of 1,100,000 tons.

MEATS AND FATS.

The third fundamental shortage of food for the allies is that of meats and fats. It is difficult to estimate the shortage in meats and fats, but it is very serious, notwithstanding the greatly increased prices of meats, especially beef, pork, and mutton (see pp. 31–32), which have deterred many consumers from purchasing to the extent they have formerly done. The meats which have come into the principal markets of the United States have increased only a moderate amount since the beginning of the war and not nearly a sufficient amount to compensate for the increased exportation.

The allies within their own countries are producing reduced amounts of meats and fats. The amount of meat that the allies will obtain from South America is likely to be below the normal, because of the shortage of ships if for no other reason. Therefore North America again becomes the only reservoir from which large supplies of meats and fats can be obtained.

Already the consumption by the allies of meats and fats has been greatly reduced. The situation is especially acute in regard to fats, which are not only necessary for food but for the manufacture of munitions. It is reported that the shortage of fats has already extended the ravages of tuberculosis in France. It is absolutely essential that the allies be furnished from the United States great quantities of meats and fats; and these can only be furnished by the elimination of waste, by economy, and by readjustment of our food program.

THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE PROBLEM.

The vast shortage of the fundamental food products of wheat, sugar, meats, and fats shows the seriousness of the problem which confronts us. It can only be solved by a clear comprehension of the facts and an intelligent application of measures necessary to meet

them. In order to successfully carry on the war it is just as essential for the United States to furnish the allies food as it is to furnish them men or money. This can be done by three lines of action upon our part: We should increase our production; we should decrease our waste; we should readjust our food ration.

The increase of food production has already been considered.

WASTE.

In regard to waste, it is certain that on a very conservative estimate, we throw away each year several hundred million dollars worth of food which in the European countries would have been utilized. In this country it has been very generally the practice to set a lavish table. A sufficient supply of each article is cooked to meet all possible needs of the household. If the head of the household does not have on the table a sufficient supply of each article to meet any call for it, she feels that she has skimped. Also very liberal portions are served rather than small portions with second helpings, if desired. The women who cooked just a sufficient amount of each article so it would meet as nearly as possible the exact needs of the family too often has been regarded as mean and stingy. But now everyone must aim to accomplish this, and for the words "mean and stingy" we must substitute the words "patriotic foresight." Anyone who has been able to compare the habits of the family in America with those of the family in France and England will at once appreciate the relatively large waste in America, and also understand the steps that are necessary in order that there shall be just sufficient food for each at a meal without a surplus to be wasted.

In Europe it is planned to cook just enough food for the family; and if anything is left over, even a scrap of bread, this is saved and goes into some future dish. In America the scraps and left-over food largely go into the garbage pail. This practice should cease.

The contrast between the hotel and restaurant service in America and Europe is even more glaring. One is appalled by the waste of food in hotels and restaurants in America. However, the problem of the hotel and the restaurant is somewhat different from that of the home, and the purpose of this statement is the consideration of the home problem.

Already a campaign of education has been begun, which has resulted in greatly lessening waste. This is proved by the reports of the city officials, who state that for many cities the amount of garbage has been reduced to one-third or one-fourth of the former amounts. While improvements have been made, there is still opportunity for large saving, and the coming year no food should be thrown away. With the vast increase in the number and size of the home gardens and the increase in the acreage of vegetables by the farmers it was early foreseen that this year, unless proper steps were taken, there

would be great waste of vegetables. In consequence of this situation, the Department of Agriculture and the Food Administration have carried on a most vigorous campaign for the canning and drying of the surplus fruits and vegetables. This campaign has been taken up by the State colleges of agriculture and the home economics department, by the State and county councils of defense, by women's organizations, etc.

In consequence of this campaign, probably millions of families will this year can a larger proportion of vegetables at the time of surplus than in previous years. Also, while drying of vegetables has been practiced formerly to some extent this will be vastly enlarged this year. Home drying has been done in the past by the air and sun, and this year this method has been greatly extended. Also, there have been developed methods of drying on a large scale by artificial heat, which methods give better results and are much more rapid than the ordinary process. However, for this year there is a shortage of drying machinery, so that not so much will be accomplished in this way as is likely to be the situation in the future.

It is not the purpose of these general lectures to go into the details. of the methods used. These features will be covered in a special set. of lectures. But it may be remarked that some kinds of vegetables, properly dried by the artificial method, when soaked up, in form and flavor are so marvelously like the canned vegetables that one can scarcely be discriminated from the other.

READJUST THE DAILY FOOD PROGRAM.

REDUCE THE USE OF WHEAT.

The elimination of waste will help, but it will not be sufficient, to furnish the essential food to the allies. We must readjust our daily program. For wheat we should eliminate white bread and other wheat products one meal a day, seven meals a week from our table. Also barley and rye flour should be mixed with wheat flour to make the so-called war bread to be used as a partial substitute for white bread. This does not mean that we shall go hungry, but that we shall use as a substitute for white bread corn, rye, and barley for bread, and also we have oatmeal and rice. To such an extent have we become white-bread eaters that these other thoroughly wholesome and abundant foods are largely neglected; and by careful thought a menu can be worked out even more varied which uses rice, barley, corn, oats, and other substitutes for one-third of the wheat. If this proposed substitution were made in the United States and Canada, and all the bread made were completely used, this would increase the amount of wheat which we could send to the allies by at least 150,000,000 bushels. Thus we would be able to export from North America the 400,000,000 bushels which has been suggested as the