50 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Febeuaey 24, 1917. 



more, and if ho is not working he will require less. It far we can obtain the two forms of food material in 

 is a connnon experience that work and exercise make appropriate (juantities. We shall do well if we direct 

 people hungry. our efforts with this end in view. 



The carbohydrates here referred to are such 

 substances as starch and sugar, commonly occurring 

 constituents of vegetables that serve as food. But there 

 is another constituent which plays a very important 

 part as a heat or energy-producing food, namely fat, 

 ■or oil. It is found that one pound of fat, or oil, will 

 produce as much heat or energy as two and a half 

 pounds of sugar or starch, hence it will be recognized 

 how valuable as food oils and fats are, and how they 

 require to be taken in much smaller (juantities than 

 carbohydrates. 



The daily diet of a working man must, therefore, 

 contain about a ijuarter of a pound of protein and 

 about I '6 pounds of carbohydrate, part of which may 

 \>e substituted by oil or fat, 04 ounces of oil or fat 

 being equal to a pound of starch or sugar. 



There are many other substances, existing in 

 Tsmall quantities, that are used for food, which are 

 necessary for the maintenance of health and vigour: for 

 this reason it is desirable that the substances used as 

 food should be varied in character, and this is desirable 

 also from ihe fact that a varied diet is more appetising 

 and pleasing, and so more beneficial; for pleasant taste 

 and appearance play an important part in the 

 ■ 'ligestion and assimilation of food. 



While it is not very desirable to determine the 

 dietary of a single ordinary individual on the basis of 

 the analytical composition of the food supplied, yet, on 

 the other hand, such information becomes of very 

 great value when considering the food supply of 

 communities as a whole, or of considerable bodies of 

 individuals, such as exist in armies, schools, prisons or 

 other institutions, where it is necessary to provide an 

 adequate and properly balanced food supply. The 

 question is of great interest to us at the moment in 

 considering the range of applicability of such food 

 supplies as are available to West Indian communities, 

 and particularly in relation to such articles of food as 

 are being newly considered. 



At the end of this article there is given a table 

 showing the average composition of a number of food 

 materials commonly met with in the West Indies. It 

 will be seen that most of the vegetables are rich in 

 carbohydrates but contain little protein. There are, 

 however, some forms of food that are rich in protein, 

 and it becomes a matter lor careful consideration how 



So far as investigations have been made, it would 

 seem that the diet of the labouring population of the 

 West Indies, when it is obtainable in adequate quantity, 

 is poor in protein but contains a good supply of 

 carbohydrates and fat; this will be appreciated when 

 it is remembered how largely starchy ioods and sugar 

 enter into the dietary, and how little meat is used. 

 Reference to the table below will show that the food.s 

 commonly raised and consumed in these islands consist 

 largely of carbohydrates, and contain little protein: and 

 this is the case with many of the articles of food which 

 it is commonly recommended should be grown at the 

 present time as an emergency measure. 



The position may be illustrated by reference to 

 such substances as sweet potato meal or cassava meal. 

 The analyses of these substances show that cassava 

 meal contains about 80 to 8.5 per cent, of carbohydrates 

 and lo per cent, of protein, while sweet potato meal 

 contains about 80 per cent, of carbohydrates and about 

 ;}•") per cent, of protein. 



From these figures it will be seen that the amount 

 of carbohydrates reqtiired for the daily food of a man at 

 moderate work may be furnished by about two pound.s 

 of either of these n)eals, but this ijuantity will convey 

 about 00.'> pound of protein, in the case of the cassava 

 me.al, or abor.t 007 pound in the case of the sweet 

 potato meal, whereas some 2 to O'^.') may be regarded 

 as necessary. 



If we look in the table for foods rich in protein 

 wherewith to balance this ration, we find such things of 

 familiar use as salt fish and peas and beans. 



.Salt fish contains about '20 to 22 per cent, of 

 protein, and practically no fat or carbohydrate. One 

 pound of this would, therefore, supply the whole of 

 the protein required to make up the deficiency of the 

 meals referred to. On this reckoning, twO' pounds of 

 cassava or sweet potato meal and a pound of salt fish 

 would supply the food requirements of a woi-king man 

 for a day. 



Amongst the vegetable foods rich in protein 

 attention may be diawn to peasand beans: dried jjeas and 

 beans, or the meal from them, contain about the .same 

 quantity of protein as salt fish, namely 20 to 22 per 

 cent., so that dried peas or beans, or their meals, may 

 be substituted tor an equivalent amount of salt fish and 



