The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-19
NEW FOOD MATERIAL

When war spread its desoating wings over Europe the food
supplies IN those countries, never overabundant, were soon
threatened; with extinction, and the chemists set about to find new
sources OF supply. German chemists made MANY. discoveries. and
at one time thought they had found a way to extract bread from
sawdust.
On this side of the water chemists began looking about for
food substitutes and means for conserving waste, which has long
been proverbial. Prof Claassen, of Cornell looked backward and
discovered that while we had learned from the Indians to eat no
tatoes and corn, another staple of Indian food had been over
looked. This was the cat-tail. Very few men who, as bows
hunted ducks and plovers, have forgotten the swamp or marsh
localities where the cattails covered acres Of ground The roots
or rhizomes OF these plants are dug up by the Indians, and
these roots are scraped and dried; the core is ground and sifted
to remove the hbers, and the residue is a flour or meal, not unlike
wheat flour. On testing this the government in Washington
found that it served every purpose as a flour substitute, and
when mixed with wheat flour in any percentage made good
bread. The importance Of this discovery may be estimated bv the
figures presented by the government. Exclusive of Alaska, there
are in this country approximately 10000 square miles of swamp
lands suitable for the cultivation Of cat-tails. Growing wild and
without planting, there are hundreds Of thousands of acres which
have been neglected, Each acre will furnish rhizomes or roots
enough to give $500 pounds Of flour, and the cost of processing
these roots, once the proper machinery is provided, is a negligible
sum. No Dakota wheat field can furnish as much flour per acre
as will the neglected marshes, and, pound for pound, the cat-tail
Hour contains as much n%ourishnent as the wheat flour. In
protein it is the same, and is lacking only in fat, which can be
supplied from the dairy or the butcher shop. The government
is favorable to this new industry, and it is expected that it will
grow and flourish in the near future. Two tons of flour to the
acre, from lands that are considered waste and worthless, is an
item that will make a noticeable change in the foodproducing
capacity of this country.
IT is not an experiment. The indians in the earlv DAYS
proved that No stronger or healthier race ever existed. and
they. very often fed upon bread made out Of this kind of flour
Our government chemists have tested it thoroughly, and have
pronounced in its favor unqualifedly.
II we continue drifting toward a paternahsuc government
some OF these days may see the producers of cat-tail flour demand
ing that they be insured by a government guarantee, lust as the
wheat farmers are at the present time.
All of which goes to show that the good Lord created nothing
iii vain, and that many blessings are trampled underfoot because
people have not learned to appreciate them
Man, like other animals, can live on vegetable food and ad;ust
himself to it. Without knowing it he may be a xylonhapous
animal, who can feed and thrive on baked sequoia or planked
hickory steak. There is not much danger 0. his dying Of hunger
&#--f ~-- - #r1I corrcae aF fAl - -, 3.
marshes abound.
The wheat raiser will at least have no monopoly in the future