The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-10-05
) MILK ECONOMICAL, !
u HOW AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY
: AFFECTS THE CHARACTER
AND COST OF LIVING.

Long ago Major Henry e. AlvOrd
pointed out that skimmilk contains
more nutrients for the same money
than almost any other food product
and that it furnishes to the poor Of
cities, where it's sale is not blindIy pro-
hibited, a cheap and valuable food. A
publication by the department of agri-
culture contains a detailed account of
series of extended experiments
which were conducted mainly at a
boarding house of the Maine state col
lege during a recent year, one object
being to determine the influence of an
abundant milk supply on the character
and cost of living.
These experiments were conducted
under circumstances and with a suffi-
cient number of persons to eliminate
any serious error likely to arise from
a difference in individuals, says Il. w.
Mossman in The American Agricultur-
list. In the aggregate they cover a
period of 14,755 days, or over 40 years,
for one man. The observations on the
influence Of milk occupied nearly three
fifths of this period.
1t is first noted that in passing from
a limited to an unlimited milk supply,
in the first instance, the consumption
of milk increased 3S7 grams 03.6
ounces) daily for each man. At the
same time the animal food decreased
3O3 grams QO.6 ounces) daily. In the
to an unlimited milk supply resulted
in daily increased consumption of $50
grams Q2.3 ounces) Of milk for each
man. The consumption of other ami
NAL foods decreased 60 grams 2.1
ounces) daily, while the vegetable foods
decreased 1854 grams Q29 ounces)
The actual decrease in nutrients from
the free use Of milk is, in the first in
stance, 45 grams and in the second Isl
grams.
The difference in cost between the
periods of limited and unlimited milk
supply was in the first trial $3.50 daily
and in the second $1.57 in favor Of the
milk diet These figures express the
amount that was saved on the whole
number of persons collectively for each
day. Taking the latter figure as a ba-
sis of calculation, we have the pretty
sum of $41G saved by the free use of
milk during the school year.
Director Jordan further states that 1t
is probable that the average American
ration is too wide-i. e., contains too
large a proportion of carbohydrates or
fat producing material. In these exper-
iments it was noted that with a limited
milk supply the ratio of heterogeneous
to non-nitrogenous food was as l:9.5
and 1:79, while free use Of milk mar
rowed the ration to 1:6.7 and los,
which appears to be better proper
toned.
Such studies are of vitas Importance,
and the results obtained merit wide
circulation among consumers and pro-
ducers of milk OF late the discussions
concerning the milk trade and milk
production have been of such a nature
as to create in the minds of many per-
sons a feeling of distrust, which has
too often led to self denial and the Sc
lection of more expensive and less nu-
tritious foods.
The sale of good milk has in this
way suffered a diminution on account
of the bad, and while it is our duty to
prohibit the sale of the latter by all
possible means it is also for the inter
est of producers to see to it that con-
fdence is restored by carefully and
conscientiously supplying only such
milk as is known to be clean and
healthful
1t is high time also that the preva-
lent notion that milk is not an ecOnom-
ical article of diet for families in mod
crate circumstances should give place
to the known and established fact that
it is at once the cheapest, most con-
venient and among the most whole
some of animal foods which nature pro
vides.
Feminine Dairy Wisdom.