CHAPTER THREE 

 FOOD, PURE FOOD, AND FRESH FOOD 



IT is a mistake, however, to think of our experiments 

 in domestic production purely in terms of economics. 

 Particularly is this true of food. For ours was not only 

 a revolt against the high cost of food. It was a revolt 

 against the kind of food with which mass production 

 and mass distribution provides the American con- 

 sumer. 



In common with the overwhelming majority of 

 people, we suffered the usual run of digestive and ca- 

 tarrhal ailments. We all had colds several times each 

 year; constipation was something every member of 

 the family had to fight; between periods of bilious- 

 ness, headaches, fevers, and similar visitations, we en- 

 joyed only what might at best be described as toler- 

 able health. I would not give the impression that we 

 were a sickly family. On the contrary, so far as health 

 was concerned we were probably better rather than 

 worse than the average family. Our ailments were al- 

 most never severe enough to keep us in bed. None of 

 us had ever been confined in a hospital. But saying 

 that our health was slightly better than average is not 

 saying much. 



Partly as a result of an accumulation of accidents 



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