Food Production Errors
One of the sides where Lord Woolton is hampered by errors not under his own control is food production. The " dig for victory " campaign was conducted last year in a very thoughtless and inexpert manner. The diggers were given no wise guid- ance as to what they had better grow; and they generally put their effort into perishables, such as cabbages and greens, the market for which is at all times very liable to glut. Much, prob- ably most, of the digging was in this way wasted ; all the more because the red-tape restrictions on selling pork and curing bacon had made it quite impracticable for any large number of diggers to keep a pig. Now; after a hard lesson in the school of experience, some better advice is being given, and the home growers are told to concentrate on onions, carrots and parsnips. This is thoroughly sound from the food standpoint, but has anybody measured the implications on the side of seed? The regular seedsmen in this country may or may not have on hand rather more onion, carrot and parsnip seed than they usually sell. But is it in the least likely that they have enough to meet what now ought to be the demand? What Whitehall should ere now have done is to have ascertained their total stocks, and bought the needed additions in America or elsewhere.
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