./ Botanical ivni Economic Study. 195 



the cravings of their appetites, will be replaced by new 

 articles, which are better adapted to intellectual and enlight- 

 ened men. Nowhere will this change be more apparent than 

 in the consumption of food. 



Instead of consuming such large quantities of food (par- 

 ticularly of fats and starches), a less quantity better adapted 

 to the needs of the human system will be substituted. Mus- 

 cular labor requires large supplies of proteids ; intellectual 

 labor, light food with condensed nutriment. Americans 

 should observe these physiological laws, for, as a rule, their 

 diet is poorly adapted to the labor they perform. The large 

 consumption of carbo-hydrate vegetal food is largely augmented 

 by the use of fat meats. It is evident from principles already 

 advanced, that the excessive production of fats (in animals), 

 starches and sugars impoverishes the soil. The American 

 people must live upon those articles of food of which the 

 American soil is most productive, and must cease to consume 

 in large quantities those articles for which the soil is poorly 

 suited. It is possible with this change to get relatively the 

 same nourishment at a fraction of the previous cost, because 

 food is produced cheaper. A more extended dietary will follow 

 such an alteration in the tastes of individuals, for there are 

 many articles which are nourishing and cheap which are easily 

 substituted for the dearer forms of food. 



A high standard of life means a variety in consumption. 

 The first condition of such a standard is the reduction of 

 primitive appetites and passions. " So long as a few primi- 

 tive wants are intense the standard will be limited to the few 

 articles which gratify them." ' The relative urgency of the 

 other wants can only increase when the primitive wants sink 

 to a level with the new desires of civilized life. These changes 

 in the consumption of men will work eventually enormous 

 changes in production. 



Agricultural production will be greatly improved. " The 

 best use of all our land will come when this change in the 

 habits of the American people is [accomplished]. There are 

 large tracts of land which cannot be utilized because the 



1 Patten, S. X . Dynamic Economics, 129. 



