250 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



it desirable on most farms to jard the poultry — yards with a heavy 

 sod and some shade. Here is pretty nearly half your feed in the 

 summer time, etc., etc. 



FOODS AND DIETETIC VALUES. 



Br MHs. Sara Waluatq Lyons, Xcw York Citu- 



"Foods and Dietetic Values" — our good Chairman stumbled over 

 the word ''dietetic," which simply shows that we are unfamiliar 

 with the word, which is of such great value. We have been taught 

 diet in schools, but when we come to consider diet values, we find 

 W'B knew nothing until the last few years. Why has it become 

 necessary in the last few years? Simply because of changed con- 

 ditions that have arisen which make necessary the study of all 

 conditions relating to health. We have many and various ailments 

 of the body today, owing, I fully believe to the many and various 

 articles we consume, which we miscall "food," because what we 

 call "food" are applied to the plant element of life just the sanu; 

 as the soil food is to the plant life. Now, we give a great deal of 

 thought and attention to giving the plant the food it needs, that 

 it may grow and develop in a wonderful way, and be very produc- 

 tive. We study the growth of the plant life and of the soil from 

 an economic standpoint; that is, we want to g^et the utmost pos- 

 sible from the plant life in order that we may increase our profits 

 from the farm. That is right, so far as it goes, but we also want to 

 study the human body, and want to understand it, and learn how 

 to get the most from it. How can we expect to be physically sound 

 — how can we expect to get full results, if we do not have a well- 

 nourished body? We find that where a body is not well-nourished, 

 there is not only physical weakness, but there are abnormal ten- 

 dencies. We should see carefully to the diet of the child, so that 

 it may have a well-nourished body, and especially up to the age 

 of ten years, look very carefully into the diet, to see that the child 

 gets the necessary nourishment to develop physically, and at the 

 same time mentall^^ and morally. If we will do this with every 

 child that goes to school, we will soon find very different conditions 

 from a physical standpoint, and from an economic standpoint, as 

 well. 



Millions of dollars have been expended in the study of everything 

 that pertains to the soil life, and the food of live stock, in order 

 to secure the best returns, but not one cent has been expended for 

 that greatest necessity of all — the human health. There has been 

 no college or school where one can obtain a knowledge of this 

 subject, and when I am asked — Avhen learned professors come to 

 me and say "at what college did you learn this; where did you 

 obtain all the information you j)ossess on this subject?" I simply 

 say "can you direct me to one where I could secure the information 

 I possess on this subject?" They think a while, and then they say 

 "no; we know of none." I secured my knowledge by reading the 



