NATIONAL FOOD CONSUMPTION. 



205 



price differential as compared with butter and lard, taking into 

 account palatability. 



The only two great commodity groups showing decreases in 

 consumption in I9i7-i8are fruits and fish. In both cases the result 

 is probably to be explained by price influences, taken together with 

 palatability and popular ideas as to relative necessity in the diet. 

 For example the price of meat may rise relatively much more than 

 that of fruits or fish without leading to any reduction in consump- 



TABLE X. 



Consumption of Fat in Human Foods, Primary and Secondary, in the 

 United States, Arranged by Commodities in Order of Magnitude. 



Order 



No. 



Average for the Six Years 1911-12 to 1916-17. 



For 1917-18 



Commodity. 



Absolute 

 Consump- 

 tion of Fat 

 (Metric 

 Tons). 



Percentage] 

 Consump- 

 tion. 



Absolute 

 Consump- 



Percentagel Cur 



Cumulated^ tion of Fat Consump- 1 lated 

 Per Cent. (Metric ] tion. Per Cent. 

 Tons). 



13 

 14 

 15 

 16 



17 

 18 



19 

 20 



Pork 



Dairy products . . 



Oils 



Beef 



Poultry and eggs . 



Corn 



Nuts 



Wheat 



Mutton 



Oleomargarine . . . 



Cocoa 



Fish 



Other cereals .... 

 Other vegetables . 



Apples 



Other fruits 



Potatoes 



Legumes 



Bananas 



Rye 



Rice 



Oranges 



Sugars 



Total 5,115,279 



,024,236 



,405.918 



505,201 



505.033 



173.349 



97.355 



92,348 



91,929 



65.499 



57.965 



25.836 



18,096 



12,391 



9.935 



8,629 



7.713 

 6,366 

 4,824 

 3.488 

 1.479 

 431 

 411 



2.045,653 



1,505,129 



554.851 



513.596 



179.337 



175,220 

 125,024 

 118,845 

 81,835 

 47.273 

 46,853 

 23,104 

 17,866 

 12,586 



7,953 

 7,451 

 7,325 

 6,767 

 3.256 

 2,885 



767 

 278 



— 5.479.939 



37-33 



27.46 



10.13 



9-37 



3-27 



3-20 



2.28 



2.17 



1.49 



.86 



.86 



.42 



-33 



•23 



37-33 

 64-79 

 74.92 

 84.29 

 87-56 

 90.76 

 93-04 

 95-21 

 96.70 

 97-56 

 98.42 

 98.84 

 99.17 

 99.40 



tion, owing to the general belief that meat is a more necessary article 

 of diet than the other two sorts of food mentioned. 



We may next consider the gross consumption of individual com- 

 modities on the same plan that has just been used in handling the 

 groups. The data are given in Tables IX. to XII. inclusive. In 



