The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-06-06

Prize essay written by Miss Fran
ees Wheeler, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Jas. D. Wheeer, of Newberry
Miss Wheeler is one of the graduates
of Winthrop college in the class of
1919.
We, Americans of today, have a
great responsibility placed upon us
when it comes to supply the nation
with food. In this day Of stress and
strain it is of great value for each
of us to know which food is the best
for us, and which can be obtained at
the least cost and expenditure of
energy. We know that food is
more nearly fixed requirement than
most other necessities Of life. The
smaller the income the larger the
percentage of it must be spent for
food. For the majority of the peo-
pie at this time it is approximately
true that "half the struggle Of life
is struggle for foods"
Before this, our early ancestors
lived on a diet consisting mainly of
fruits, and they were strong and
hardy. We agree with the back-to-
nature man who offers to sustain life
on the berries, fruits and nuts of the
forest.
Most of us know what actual food
value fresh fruits are to us and we
are beginning to put them on our
table every day. But what Of dried
fruits? One of the best means
of adding to our food supply is the
drying Of fruits. Raisins are possi-
bly, the best known dried food we
have. We would first like to know
what varieties Of grapes are best
suited for the making Of raisins and
where grown. The varieties of rais-
in grapes are few in number, the
white Muscat, Malagra, Thompson
and Sultana grape have been utilized
for raisin purposes, but in recent
years the Malagra grape has been
practically eliminated as a raisin
grape, being found more profitable
to market as a table grape. The
greater part of the raisins consumed
in this country used to come from
Spain and Turkey. But California
alone now produces many times as
many raisins as Spain. There are
many places in the United States
where the raisin industry is carried
on but not on such an extensive scale
ais in California, which leads in the
industry. ~.
When trying to realize the prob
lem of feeding the nation, we should
remember that dried fruit is a very
compact food, and that there is
much more food value in one pound
Of dried sraisins than there. is in
three or four pounds Of fresh grapes.
Raisins are q more compact form OF
food than Gle grape due to the fact
that the WISER has been evaporated,
Not so long ago fiaisins, were re
garded as a. luxury, but, however,
house wivesSare beglnnlng 90 appre-
ciate their great food value, and
have come to regard them as one Of
the most important Of the staple ar
ticles Of the diet.
The foods yielding energy are the
carbhydrates. The raisi mis-, there.
fore. one Of the most important Of
the energy-produ foods Of mar
because Of is high per centage Of
I, carbohydrates: This carbohydrate
which forms Is per cent of the edi
BILE portion of the raisin, is in the
form Of grape sugar, or fructose ane
levulose.
Careful, chemical analysis ha:
shown in recent years that this
grape sugar is practically predigest
ed in natures laboratory, therefore
ready for assimilation. It require!
no tax on the digestive process. i
some of this grape sugar were IN
jected int othe system, the bloot
could take it up and use it immedi
ately.
Raisins, therefore, form an i'm
portant part in the dietary Of tht
sick and the young. Some Of th'
leading health institutions Of tn
country and several noted sanitari
ums prescribe raisins specifically il
certain cases.
The value of the raisin as a foo'
is by no means confined to it's pc
centage Of carbohydrates, for ana
lysis of the ash shaws that it is ricl
in many of the elements essentia