The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-06
THE BIVALVE Is AN IMPORTANT
ARTICLE OF FOOD, AS NUTRl-
TIOUs AS MEAT OF ANY KIND
AND CAN BE OBTAINED FOR A
SONG.
BY Maude Wood Henry.

In these days of meat strikes and
high prices of everything from goat
! to the choicest tidbit a beef affords
when, as northern paper facetiously
put it, one may take his choice between
an automobile and a dozen fresh eggs, it
| is of interest to reflect that we still
have the oyster to fall back on. Few
people know the real food value o.
oysters, even the people of this gull
region who eat them as a matter of
fact fresh from Florida waters.
Mr.. John Craft, of Mobile, president
Pof the Alabama Oyster Commission,
said the other day that he had been
intimately associated with oysters all
his life but had looked upon them in
the light Of appetizers until recently.
As the head of the state oyster com
mission he ought to know more about
the oyster, SO he began to investigate
it and has made the discovery that
the bivalve is an important article of
food, exactly as nutritious as beef,
veal, mutton, chicken, eggs, or any
thing else, with the added advantage
of little waste (you can eat an oysters
whole ensemble) besides, as some
learned physician claims, it is easier
an ideal food for weak stomachs and a
great tissue builder
The people of the gulf states who
can rake in the oyster most handily
or purchase it for a song need not fear
meat famines or fabulous prices. ac-
cording to Mr. Craft. Use oysters as
a substitute for meats-and you are
fixed.
,a,+,, jn,o% H. Ar
termtned their value with nicely ana
precision and gives the following in
the Farmers Bulletin-comparing the
cost of shucked oysters, pound for
pound, with that of beef, mutton,
chicken and fish, after the refuse has
been taken from them.
Some Comparisons.
The average quantity of refuse in
beef, mutton and veal is 20 Der cent;
If we assume the average cost to the
| consumer as "a cents Per pound, then
the cost without the refuse is 80 cents
per pound. In the case of chickens.
the refuse is 1855 per cent. If we as
sumo the average cost to the con-
sumner as 25 cents a pound, then the
cost without the refuse is 35.6 cents a
pound. In the case OF fish, the guam
makes the consumer pay 80 cents for
pound without refuse when the aver
age price per pound is Is cents.
The average cost of eggs to the con-
sumner In the great cities of the east
is about "a cents a dozen and a dozen
weighs about one pound. The refuse
Is 10 per cent, so the consumer Is
paying for eggs, about 20 cents a
80
weighs about 10 pounds and can be
sold to the consumer in the great
cities of the east, at 80 cents per
quart, or y cents pound. SO here
is the relative cost per pound to the
consumer for what he really consumes.
Chickens 1915 cents, eggs "a cents.
beef, veal and mutton 30 cents, and
shocked oysters IL cents. In the case
of extra large sizes of oysters, graded
as counts and selects, the cost is 16
cents per pound
To get one pound net you have to
buy-of beef, veal and mutton, 125
pounds; of fish, 200 pounds; of chick
ems, 1.347 pounds; of eggs, 1.136
pounds.
Oysters % cents per dry quart or 10
cents per pound, are just as cheap as
/ beef. veal and mutton at cents per
pound. Fish at cents per pound,
chickens at 71-2 cents per pound,
Eggs at $40 cents per dozen.
Oysters at 80 cents per dry quart or
II cents per pound, are just as cheap
as beef, veal and mutton at Clio
cents per pound. Fish at cents per
! pound, chickens at cents per pound,
eggs at 10 IL cents per dozen.
s Oysters at 80 cents per dry quart or