The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-15

quantity they promise to serve as a substitute
for meat.
Noting the fact that sirloin beef has increased
595 per cent roast beef GS.S per cent; smoked
hams els per cent; round steak S4 per cent;
corn meal G3.7 per cent; pork chops Sc per cent
and that the production of these food products is
not increasing in some cases as rapidly the
population and in othors IS actually decreasing
Mir Rowe says:
It therefore interests all consumers. es-
pecialIy all the housewives that there Is a kind
II food which is not only exceedingly paatable
and wholesome but which is being produced in
greatly increasing quantities owing to the de-
veiopment Of artificial methods Of propagation
and cultivation,
The writer then proceeds to show that the
prejudice against oysters as a food is like most
prejudiccs, based on ignorance. though he tells
us that that prejudice is rapidly decreasing TO
help along the good work he quotes pr Carl Ais
berg, chief Of the United States bureau of chem
istry as saying that he could wish that the mum
her OF dangerous sources of milk supply was as
great as the proportion Of wholesome safe oysters
that reach our tables" Continuing. MIR Rowe
quotes further from Or. Alsberg, showing the
value to the country of the oyster
There Is a further economic reason for the in
terest II this department. Every pound Of food
taken from the relieves the land Of produc-
ing corresponding amount Of meat and re-
leases so many acres for the production of grain
and fruit. Every pound of food produced on
land uses up some Of our soil fertility. Sea food
~ nct gain to the land and. moreover furnishes
fertilizer TO the land and directly enriches the
sotl 1t Is but natural that the Department Of
Agriculture wants to stimulate the production Of
sea food, and especially oysters Thousands Of
acres Of waters are available for oyster beds all
along our seaboard and the oyster producing
possibilities Of the Gulf States have scarcely been
touched The oyster grower OF the reaches of
the sea Is much producer Of wealth as the
breaker Of new prairie land.
The old Malthusian theory which gave to eco
Monies the name OF the gloomy science" was to
the effect that as the population of the world
increased, the productive power of its soil de-
creased proportioually and that in time there
would be insufficient food TO support the popula-
ton and finally no food at all. But Nautilus
reczoned without the sea as well as without the
Development of scientific methods Of production.
The oyster is one food Of that portion Of the earth
which viii never be numbered with humanity,
and 1t is n productive industry. "as completely
as is grain farming on the enormous grain fields
- tia 4-4=t =, ais.i i4terea=tfte
uraly. as the production of oysters Is more than
keeping pace with the increase of population
and as the production OF meat Is falling behind
the price Of oysters in not increasing as rapidly
as that of other foods AS matter Of fact, we
believe, the cost is less this season than it was
the last
Here then, is a source OF food supply that can
be utilized at comparatively small outlay. The
pay envelope can he made 10 go further in that
direction. The opening of our doors to foreign
foods by the reduction in tho tariff may help the
situation temporarily. but the oyster is an ally
OF equal Importance