The Midland Journal

Harvesting and packing our local canning crops is going to be a hard row to hoe. Our local canning plant and our farmers who grow the canning crops are now engaged in one of the most critical battles of the war—producing food for the armed forces.

To do the job, it looks as though it may take the help of every last one of us. And, there'll be little, if any, glory. No one will wave any flags or pin any ribbons on our breasts. But, as each can is packed, sealed and sent on its way, it should make all of us just a little bit happier to realize that somewhere—it may be China, England or Africa—but somewhere in this unhappy world American boys, and American Allies, will eat the good fruits from the fields of Cecil County. That will be our reward.

No, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be plain hard work. But fighting on any front is hard work—backbreaking, heartbreaking. The people of Cecil County know this. They know the job they've taken on and they have the stout hearts to finish it.

It's particularly difficult because it must all be done at one time. As Claude R. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, said a few weeks ago—"This food business is all one. The farm production must be packaged, shipped and distributed before food can win the war—or write the peace." So for a few weeks, we will concentrate on getting our end of this job done. We will pick and we will pack. We will see that Cecil County does its share in writing the peace—in food. We will see that every bean and pea and tomato is in a can and on its way before we stop to rest.

But we are going to do it—without flinching and without faltering.