Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-05-02

I
quantities of food you buy and how
much you pay for them. Having taken
a complete inventory of the edible
stock in kitchen, pantry and cellar, he
will weigh your meat, milk, molasses
| and eggs. Samples of everything he
will desire for chemical analysis, only
requiring that all of the refuse from
the table and other waste shall be kept
| for subsequent weighing. Finally, he
will probably be able to suggest sys-
tenn of diet more wholesome and moro
economical.
The last congress appropriated $10,-
600 for the purpose of investigating the
nutritive values of foods for human be-
/ ings, the special purpose in view being
to suggest II tho .Jeople of this country
q more wholesome and economical die
tary system. The department of agri-
culture has charge of the work, which
is to cover as far as possible all classes,
rich and poor, whites and negroes,
rural and city people Agents are in
| structed that they must exercise great
care and tact There is no point on
which the average housewife is so SEN
sitive as inrespect to her housekeeping.
1t is a delicate matter to go into
| household and make critical notes Of
/ what is eaten and drunk. A boarding
| house mistress is likely to object to
| having her kitchen and account book
| subjected to examination. Yet the
| present object is only to be ATTAINED
by study of precisely this kind. Selec-
ton will be made of families in town
and country which are willing to sub
| ject themselves to the test. 1t is fur
Their recommended that agents shall
gain the confidence of the people, stat
ing with tn utmost frankness the pur-
poses of the investigation.
Having obtained the consent of a
family to be investigated, the govern
ment agent will first make his inven-
| tory of the stock of food on hand in the
house. He will weigh everything. not
trusting purchase weights. Tea, coffee.
SALT spices, beef extract and condi-
ments will not be taken into account
Beef tea made from beef extracts is
| stimulant. but is not nourishing to any
extent Beer will be considered as
food, and likewise spirits. Whatever
| Is bought during the term of the trial
will be subjected to like treatment, and
at the end another inventory will be
taken, the stock remaining being sub
| tracted from the total Choice will
not be made of families in which there
are irtvalids, aged persons, greatly
over sized or understood individuals,
or excessive users of stimulants.
| In New York city the work is being
conducted through the Society for the
| Improvement of the Condition of the
| Poor. Families are selected by the adj
| vice of the society, choice being made
of those which are most respectable
and reliable. Obviously some allow
ance must be made for lying, which is
no common human propensity. Errors
arising from this cause which might
seriously impair the accuracy of con-
illusions, are guarded against as care
fully as possible. Efforts are being
made by the government agents to as
certain what foods these poor people
of the metropolis buy and what they
pay for them; what they eat and what
goes to waste. Samples are sent to
Professor Atwater, at Middletown,
Conn, for analysis.
Some of the results already obtained
are quite striking. One family investi-
gated was so poor that its members had
not decent clothes. The mother. for
lack of respectable dress, was a pris-
oner in her own house and unable to
appear on the street. Yet that house
hold, which comprised six persons.
/ spent $14 a week fer raw food. Another
case was that of students boarding
house. where the quantity of food ma
terial wasted was equal to the amount
eaten. 1t is expected that the evidence
/ obtained respecting the waste of food
by rich people will be surprising.
Eventually the department of agri-
culture will issue report that will
be widely distributed pointing out con-
| spieuous errors in the diet of the peo-
pie and making recommendations. The
/ community at large will go on doing
/ just as it has done hitherto, but a few
intelligent persons will become inter
ested in the subject and tho ideas will
/ gradually spread This has been the
+ experience in similar researches di
/ rected to tho economical feeding of ami
mails. Adopting the suggestions with
reluctance, many farmers ana stock
raisers are now using with considerable
saving the rations recommended on
/ scientific basis by the government. Il
takes a good while to saturate the pop
nlar mind with new idea
Rations for the German army are al
ready arranged on strictly scientific
basis, being varied according to the
work which the soldiers are obliged ia
10 at different times. The peace "a
ton Is lighter then the war ration. rep-
resenting less fuel for the bodily ma
chine. During = severe campaign.
when fighting is 70 be done and forced
marches are required, the ration risas
| te & maximum.