Imperial Valley press., 1926-12-30
HOME ECONOMICS WORK AIDS
INTELLIGENT CONSUMPTION

lNIElILlGEf
Fixing, textiles and other mater.
ials used in every home are produc-
| ed ON farms. 1t is becoming increaS-
inglv apparent that the success of
agriculture does not rest solely on
, efficient production and distribu-
tion. There must be closer fit
between consumption and produc-
tlon. This means that American
homcmakcrs must know how to
make the best use of the commodi-
ties sunDlicd bv farms.
DR.. Louise Stanley. chief of the
bureau of home economies of the
United States department of agri-
culture. saws in her annual report
for 1926. just issued, that there is
widespread desire for scientific
facts on homcmaking. 1t comes
both from homemakcrS and from
the agencies that produce and han.
die the materials the homo requires.
The work of the bureau is at
present represented by three main
divisions-foods and nutrition, eco
nomic studies, and textiles and
clothing. The work of the foods
and nutrition division is douLlv
important in adjusting market de.
mands to production and in helping
both to meet the health needs of
the nation. Volume production fig
ules show that this coutrv has an
abundance of food. vet under-nour-
ishment is prevalent. Food habits
are being studied to find out wheth-
cr the difficulty is geographic. eco
nomic. or due to lack of knowledge
Of the simple facts of nutrition.
Nutrition Principals Applied
Many of the Fundamental princi-
pies Of nutrition are not being ap-
piled in everyday diets because
they have not been translated into
forms that can be used by the
homcmakcr. This is very import
ant function of this division of tho
bureau. Figures on food compost
tion must be compiled and kept up
to-date since these are the basic
terms used in translating nutrition
facts. The close relation between
IitaminS and health is increasingly
emphasized. Nitamin studies must
follow to find out in which Of thu
foods these are present and how
they are affected 10y various meth.
eds Of handling.
\ nationwide study Of the far.
tors affecting quality and palatabil
ity Of meat in which the bureau Of
home economics is cooperating with
other branches of the department of
agriculture and with the state cx-
pertinent stations is another ,ignifi-
cant food study reported. Lamb
and beef cuts from cxperimeutallv
fed and slaughtered animals have
been cooked by standard methods
ready for Judging. The results of
this longtime study Will be Il guide
toward methods of producing the
most desirable types Of market
meat. Also it will yield many more
facts on cooking meats so as to
conserve and develop flavor. tender
ness, juicincss, and food value
How to Buy Health
Home canning of fruits and yes-
etables. use of soft wheat flours.
vegetable cookery, and various other
food problems are handled also
from the standpoint Of sound hemc
and agricultural economy. The
whole program aims at teaching
the housewife to buy health for the
family through properly selected
ana prepared foods.
Diets of thirteen hundred farm
families in Kansas, Kentucky. Mis-
souri, ard Ohio. have been analvzed
by the economies division to finI
the kind, quantity, cost and nutri
tive value of the foods eaten during
the course OF a year Preliminary
reports have been issued on these
food figures and on the clothing
expenditures Of the same farm fam
lies. As a help toward the best
use Of the family income n popular
bulletin has been prepared telling
how to make budget and live up
to it.
Cotton is the first i'm series uf
fabric selection bulletins to be is
sued by the division of textiles and
clothing. The points consumer
should know in buying cottons for
clothing and household uses have
been summarized. Getting such
facts to women buyers is an aid 10
manufacturers of cotton goods as
well as to cotton growers. Home
laundry problems studied by scicn-
tific methods are another link re-
ported between production and utili-
zation of textiles.
AS fast as these studies are com
Dleted, results are given to the pub.
lie. American homcmakers are
getting scientific facts on homemak-
ing of advantage to consumer and
producer alike.