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SCIENCE PROGRESS 



565. iod., was at that time (1903) sufficient to provide enough 

 food for all the members of the family of four children on the 

 scale mentioned. 



In the case of dietary (A) based on the food consumed by 

 agricultural families, the quantities of food under each head 

 have been increased to the next highest half or quarter pound. 

 The food actually supplied was therefore somewhat less than 

 is here shown. The average wage per family, namely 18s. 6d. 

 per week, was too little even at the period when the infor- 

 mation was collected (namely 1902) to provide enough for all. 

 It is usually assumed in such cases that the wage-earner of 

 the family receives more than his share of the total food to 

 enable him to do his day's work, the other members of the 

 family having to be content with correspondingly less. The 

 effect of the low wage is indicated also by another feature 

 of this dietary, namely, a low consumption of meat and milk, 

 together with a correspondingly high consumption of bread 

 and potatoes. 



Dietary (C) shows some features of interest. The data 

 were collected in 191 7 at a time when potatoes and other fresh 

 vegetables were scarce. The supply of sugar was reduced, 

 and the price of flesh meat was higher than in pre-war times. 

 To make good for a reduction of supplies under these heads 

 the working man's family had to resort to breadstuffs, of 

 which the consumption shows a distinct increase. 



A comparison of the proportions of the total food energy 

 supplied by each class of food in the three dietaries is shown 

 in the following table : 



Bread and cereals 



Meat and fish . 



Butter, margarine, lard, etc. 



Milk and cheese 



Sugar, jam, syrup 



Vegetables, etc. 



99 '9 



99-8 



997 



It is worth noting that bread and meat in all the dietaries 

 provide approximately 60 per cent, of the total energy, 

 and that there is a reciprocal relationship in the degree to 



