New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-31
LETTERS from THE PEOPLE.
FOOD FOR THE MILLIONS.

FOOD FOR THE MILLIONS.
MR. ATKINSON ON SUPPLY AND CONSUMPTION OF
FOOD AND IT'S COST
To the Editor OF The Trtouns.
SIR The American Association for tho Ad-
yancement OF Science Ia holding It's annual meeting
in this city. One Of the papers which will doubtless
attract attention by Mr. Atkinson on science as ap-
piled the production and consumption OF food NO
subject could be OF greater general interest than this
but unhappy tho yalue of the paper to some extent
affected by Mr.. Atkinsons we'll known peculiarities MI
Atkinson is interchangeable writer, and In the appca-
ton OF statistics to cotton manufacture has the rare ana
complete knowledge of expert. But what training
has for the task OF determining tho scientific value OF
different articles OF food the scientific cost OF their
distribution Being perplexed by this thought, have
examined his paper with and AIN not sur
prsed find It, like other papers from the same source
of late years. dscursve and rambling Eguarly lack
ing logical order or In cearness and accuracy OF state
ment and full OF the personal pecuarities which have
made Mr. Atkinson OF the most amusing as he Is one
of tho most prolific feetrado writers of the country
Notwithstanding all this, the contains much that
should attract public attention and doubtless good may
result from the thorough Investigation 10 which It
may lead
Naturally Mr. Atkinson repeats the crude and careless
computations regarding the consumption O products
which were r,ade by him last year. and published in
little book entitled, The Distribution Of Products"
moro examples OF unsoenc generalization from insult
6cent and unscenthc blundcis OF statement
computation than any ohor treatise that has attracted
attention for n long tmo Nevertheless. 1t OF in
terest and clcited much discussion Mr.. Atkinson now
repeats tho assertion that the whole amount consumed
By tho people Of this country averages only about 40
cent per day for each person This he now uses as
measure Of consumption just he used the same esti
mate last year as measure OF the distribution OF prod
ucs Yet Il was pointed out. when his book was pulI-
thaa a..nnI Nluf utff
were snglary inaccurate, and that, especially, he had
omitted aud very loosely estimated the consumption OF
farm products by the dwelers the farms Then there
was an excuse IL held that lac seeking a.
only the commercial product which required dis
scicntic inaccnracy he without correction the
Of that inquiry not az representing the amount Of
amount OF products consumed. Through the whole OF
his rambling dsqnison there occur similar instance. OF
carcessness in using results OF past Inquiries without the
corrections which published criticism must have brought
TO his attention and often without scientific care to con-
sler whether tho old fact In form or nature ne for
the new use. Yet Mr.. Atkinson Ia almost always In.
teresng and suggestive aud soDe Of the IDEAS Presented
Much OF Its ;spacc Is devoted TO theory That the
the production Of animal food BY means Of the OF
aos IN Carolina and Canada with farm mapnres he holds
that corn be abundaniy and oheapy produced lie
maintains that corn PLANTS gather NITROGEN from natura
s cHrss with the enoyatns and not with the
exhaustive crops Next b. using GOTTEN
seed meal with the corn for en'lage, no believes
land than in exas This suggestion hns for IL support
opinions given by Professor Atwatcr. OF Middleton ana
the statement OF Mr. Atkinson that he has himself raised
two COWS the crop OF one acre for i've years.
Connected with this suggestion appear elab0i ate
tables Professor AtEaer designed 81 show the cost OF
the chemical elements protein. ata and onrbo hydrogen
In the different Kin ~ food. The comparison OF FRO
fcsnr AtwRiers conclusions with daily bills OF fare pro
posed by scientists for wOrknen constitutes tho
most important aud Interesting portion OF tho paner ~
T. put Ina such form TO be available for practical
use has SIR Atkinson succeeded In very clearly
defining methods by which the dsslrrd economics ia
individual or national consumption can be brought
about. Hut credit In due. afer a o the man who aug
gesis even IN comparatively crude FORM ideas OF great
public value. No dOnbt the suggestion which Mr. Atkn-
son has made will be materially modified. 10 the DIS
cuss0n which his paper Is likely among those
who have the scenh knOwlefge Ia rdge OF ts value or
10 point - doers. but II Is none tho less an n-
teresflng and probably valuable suggestion. Yours.
Ann ATb0r. Nch., Aug. p, 1889. X. T. a.