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scarce, so that bread and meat could not be obtained in the usual way, 

 primitive man has tlien showed liis superiority over his civilized brother 

 by resorting to the store-Ivouse of nature for the Staff of Life. Nature 

 has provided most lavishly for man in supplying him with food, and 

 drink, but man has most ruthlessly despoiled the bountiful supply of 

 nature in the destruetion of forests. 



Less than a century ago, the forests of the nortliern section of the 

 United States were the most diversified in the world. The oak, 

 hickory, chestnut and walnut, with their kindi-ed species, indigenous 

 to the forests of North America, were the wonders of the world. The 

 timber obtained from these four giants of the forest has revolutionized 

 modern civilization, but what other wonders might have been wrought, 

 if man in his ruthless destruction of forests, had saved for posterity 

 the choice sj^ecimens of these species, which produced the most 

 toothsome and vitalizing concentrated food products of all ages. The 

 acorn and chestnut h;3ve all the concentrated calories of bread; the 

 hickory nut, pecan and black walnut have the most complete concen- 

 trated calories of mieat, constituting both bread and meat in the most 

 nutritious form, completing the Staff of Life. 



In addition to the great bread and meat nuts a'bove mentioned, 

 there is yet another very important nut which grows on bushes in a 

 wild state in North America known as the hazel, and in Europe as 

 the filbert. How often in boyliood days have we gone out on nutting 

 parties in the Fall to gather the hazel and hickory nut in the "Forest 

 Primeval" in the most beautiful season of the year, little realizing 

 that we were gathering the most nutritious food in the most concen- 

 trated form provided by nature's laboratory and mixed by nature's 

 most skillful chemists. The meat of the filbert is not altogether of 

 the consistency of breat nor meat, but partakes more of the properties 

 of bread than meat. 



I remember, when in boyhood days down on the farm, several fine 

 specimen of hazels, hickories and walnuts from which I have gathered 

 some of the most delectable nuts that ever graced the bill of fare of 

 the most fastidious delicatessen. They were fit for the food of gods 

 or the menu of potentates. I would give a great de,il for some of 

 these old nut patriarchs. But their value was then unknown and they 

 were not preserved for posterity. However, we must make the best of 

 what we have at hand. 



