The times., 1898-09-18
what IT COSTS TO EAT
The Annual Expense for Food
for Our People.
INTERESTING STATISTICS
The United States Leads the World
kn the Production of Food Arti-
cies-The Amount Required 10
Feed Our own Citfzens-What 0ur
Yearly Exports Amount To.


ed by the abundance and nutritive value
OF its food. then the United States stands
easily at the head of the dominant ma
tiOns of the world, says the New. York
Sun. Not only can the farms, the mead
ows and the orchards supply the needs
of our own citizens. but there is left an
immense surplus to be shipped to other
countries. During the past ten years the
nations wheat crop has averaged about
465. 900 bushels, ranging from less than
100000, 600 bushels in 1898 TO more than 6O0.-
100000 two years earlier. The average
yearly exports Of this wheat for the same
decade were 100000 bushels. leaving
:i25, 600 coo for home consumption
Excluding the wheat used for seed and
for purposes other than human food, the
present consumption is estimated to BE-
little less than one barrel of flour per
capita. or 10000. 600 barrels for the nearly
IS. 600 coo population. That means an an
nual consumption of 1909. 900 900 pounds Of
four-a bulk which. put into a single re-
ceptacle, would require barrel twice the
height of Washington Monument and
correspondingly big in circumference.
Were all this flour made into bread il
would yield 1000 O0). 900 pound loaves. Re
the Mount and giving bread for
stone" these loaves would pave a road
way thirty-six feet wide and extending
around the world. If bakery wagons were
loaded each with a thousand of the loav-
es, 2O,GG0O00 would be needed TO move the
bread They would make a procession
over 60,000 miles long or eighteen abreast
from ocean to ocean. OF course not all
the flour is made into bread since mil
lions Of pies. cakes and other products OF
the cooks art come from these 70,0)0 900
flour barrels.
Last year the farms of the country
raised wheat sufficient to supply this
enormous demand at home, besides send
ing ls3 600, 900 bushels to other countries
OF this export two-thirds went to Great
Britain and less than a tenth to the rest
of Europe. Six bushels in a hundred
went to our neighbors on the north and
nine more to the other American coun-
tries Australia and Asia took 10 600, 900
bushels and Africa 4,00U 900 bushels But
unless the nations farms yield a larger
wheat crop less will be exported in the
future. At the present rate of consump-
uon the increased population viii de-
mand the entire production in another
decade.
Wheat, however, is far from being the
only grain used for food by the Ameri-
can people The corn crop is about four
times as large as that of wheat and some
seventeen hundred millions of bushels
remain for consumption in our own coun-
try. But only a fraction of this reaches
the stomach of man direct For
the most part it is taken in
the pork, beef milk, butter, eggs
and other products of animals
that fatten on its substance. In recent
years. apparently, the vdirect use of corn
for mans food is increasing with the
mixed" flour, the patent food prepara-
uons, the brown bread, corndodgers, and
like cookery. Whole regions OF the South
use corn almost exclusively in preference
10 wheat flour.
Then there is the oat crop. averaging
100000 bushels. most of which remains
in this country. Americans are rapidly
following the Scotch in the use of oats as
table food still only a small fraction
OF the total crop is consumed in the home
The average barley crop is 100000 bush
els, all but 100000 bushels of which re-
mains within the country The usual
yield of rye is 2S000,000 bushels, very little
of which is exported But the&barlev and
rye are largely reduced TO fluid from be-
fore the American consents to take them
into his stomach. Some Is, 900. 900 bushels
OF buckwheat enter each year into the
composition of our pancakes.
The exact amount of these various
grains used directly for human food can
not be determined. but probably another
5000. 600 pounds must be added TO the
wheat flour. making a total of 10000, ,o0O. 900
pounds used each year as food. Large as
this seems in the aggregate it is less
than three-quarters of a pound day to
each person-not a very ample meal in
Itself but fully sufficient, when taken
with the abundant varieties of other
foods.
Another favorite food of the Americans
Is the potato It's average crop in recent
years has been about Do, 100000 bushels.
The export and import trade in this veg
etable is Insignificant. Tossupply MS fam
lily with the average quantity the head of
the house needs TO purchase for each
member about half a pound day, or
three bushels a year. Sweet potatoes are
also faVorite food, some 45 00J 600 bush
els being needed for the annual con-
sumption. The yield of peas IS COCO on
bushels; Of beans. 3.090. 900. and of onions.
2,5W,0J0 bushels. More than half a mil
lion bushels Of onions are imported. most
OF which are Of choice Spanish and Ber-
muca varieties. Three hundred million
pounds Of rice are used during the year.
one-half Of which comes from other couu-
tries This is only about four pounds a
year to each person, against ten pounds
in Great Britain; fourteen in Italy: 800
in Japan, and 547 in the Indian province
OF Bombay.
Americas sweet tooth is said to be ab-
normally developed. The consumption of
sugar reaches the astonishing total of s.
500 000, 600 pounds: but only one-eighth of
this is raised at home. Last year nearly
a third Of the supply came from Germa-
ny, and per cent more from the rest of
Europe. The West Indies sent q per
cent and the East Indies II per cent. Full
ly half the sugar imported came from
countries no better able to prOduca n
than is the United States herself Last
year we raised 125. 600 600 pounds of beet
sugar. There are those who prophesy
that in another decade the entire amount
Of sugar needed for home consumption
will be produced within our own borders.
The present everage is about 70 pounds a
year each, or pound a day per fam
lily Of five.
TIE dairy produces another important
part of the food supply With the but
ter. cheese. milk and like products. the
total value to the consumer is estimated
to be not less than $500 COO 900 a year To
spread the bread. make the pies and con-
coct other appetizing dainties requires an
annual supply Of not less than !. $50 09O, 600
pounds of butter Besides, we export
about Is O01 000 600 pounds Cheese is. used
TO the extent of 230, ,000. 600 pounds annual
" Made into one gigantic cheese it
would measure $50 feet in diameter and
half as many feet in height More
striking still is the use of the raw milk
which amounts TO no less than 7,000-
gl0000 quarts annually. Yet this is only
half pint a day to each person. OF
this supply Chicago takes 100000 quarts,
Greater Boston IS. GOO 600. Philadelphia &c.
0O0.0O0 and Greater New York 6Si.OoO.0e0
quarts.
Then there are the eggs, of which $50,
no aao dozans are 11sed during the wear,