The Bismarck tribune., 1931-11-17
(Official City, State and County
Newspaper)
Foreign Representatives
SMALL, SPENCER. LEVING6
q BREWER
uncorporated)
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTON
The Return to Wheat

The Return to Wheat
One of the things which every
American understands thoroughly is
the rather remarkable changes which
have been made in the diet Of the
average person during recent years.
Improved methods of refrigeration
and handling, speedier transporta
tion and increased ability to buy
coupled with forceful advertising and
adequate marketing organizations
have caused the American citizen to
use a greater variety Of food prod
ucts during the last decade than in
any preceding it.
Chief sufferer among the staples
because OF this tendency has been
wheat. It still is justly known as
the staff of life, but it now has so
many competitors that it is much
less important in the scheme CT
things, considered on a relative basis,
than it used to be.
Charles Lathrop Pack, president Of
the organization which propagan-
dized nearly every one into planting
a garden during the war, estimates
that wheat consumption is down some
$500, 100000 pounds when compared
with so years ago. He arrives at this
figure by taking the difference be-
tween a flour consumption Of 223
pounds per capita in 1881 and 1T
pounds in 1881. This amounts to
147, 900 bushels of wheat, or prac-
tically the surplus now held by the
federal farm board, according to the
latest guesses.
Pack lays the decrease to num-
ber Of things. Among them IS the
effort Of his own group during the
war to popularize the use Of garden
produce. This was followed up by
promotion Of the all-season use of
garden products. regardless of
whether they were home grown or
not.
Another item is the popularizatior.
through advertising Of other food
products. He cites the citrus fruit In
dustry as the outstanding example
Of this idea. Growers and Gamers
Of vegetables have done the same
thing and the "vitamin" theory has
been sold to the American people,
along with q respect for calories. ii
the style creators would do some
thing to emphasize the value Of q
woman having meat on her bones
it might help the farmer as much
as anything else he could think Of.
It Is interesting to note what all
these and other educational cant
paigns have done for vegetable prod
ucts at the expense Of wheat. In the
last seven years IS leading truck
crops have enlarged their acreage hy
39.4 per cent. In 10 years since 1920
Is important crops have increases
car loadinss COS per cent. Lettuc.
ranks next to potatoes, $500 car
loads Of 1t moving from the shippers
now as compared to l2.142 in 1920
-Four times as many carrots are be.
ing eaten today as 10 years ago
Spinach has forged ahead In about
the same proportion, jumping from
$500 cars to 10000 cars in . decade.
All this dietary change could mol
take place without some other item
OF food feeling the effects. Ane
wheat has suffered. It has bowed t
the power Of effective advertis-
ing. to the advance Of refrigeration
in transport, to perfection in can,
ming. II 1t is to regain its place II
needs someone to plead its cause and
to recreate demand for its use.
A recent news dispatch indicates
that this may be In process righ,
now. A college professor down sr
Illinois Is attempting to live on wheaI
alone In the belief that he can fe~d
his family on solids for 63 cents q
month. The solids would be wheat
exclusively. Elsewhere the consump.
tion Of wheat appears to be increas.
ing, for it still Is the best and cheap.
est food available. America ha.
switched from lobster and lettuce II
the bread and butter diet. This MAY
automatically take care Of the sur.
plus. At any rate, it is bound *
help.