THE DIETETIC VALUE OF FRUIT. 93 



Applying the same calculations as before, we find that one will 

 have to eat 178 ounces, or a little more than 11 pounds of apples 

 a day for the requisite carbohydrates; he would be obliged to eat 

 168 ounces or lOh pounds for the necessary proteids, and for the 

 fats it would require 1,000 ounces, or 62£ pounds daily. 



This demonstrates that however valuable strawberries and 

 apples may be as a part of an every day diet, they can scarcely be 

 considered as nutrients. In other words their actual nutrient value 

 is exceedingly low and this is true of practically all our fruits. 



In order to support life and maintain strength, strawberries and 

 apples like most other fruits must be eaten in connection with 

 more concentrated foods. 



Wherein then does the dietetric value of fruit consist? Let us 

 briefly consider. The qualities which render fruit and some of the 

 more delicate garden vegetables wholesome, and cause us to have a 

 natural appetite for, and hence to enjoy them, are their acid juici- 

 ness and flavor. The juice is largely water, but it contains the 

 sugar and acid of the fruit, and if these are present in large quan- 

 tities and in the right proportion, it is agreeable and refreshing. 

 Most of our food products are valued on the basis of the dry matter 

 they contain; not so with fruit. 



Pure milk is 87 per cent water and may be further diluted by 

 breed, feed, and greed, and its value as food diminished thereby. 

 Many of our fruits contain as much water as average milk, but, as a 

 rule it is the best fruit that contains the most water. I have fre- 

 quently tested the amount of water in "nubbin" strawberries, "cull" 

 peaches, and "runty" apples, and have found less than 80 per cent. 



In the finest specimens of each of these fruits, not overgrown but 

 perfect samples, that would sell for the very highest price, I have 

 usually found over 90 per cent of water. A heaped bushel of 

 fine large peaches, that contain 100 specimens showed when tested 

 92 per cent of water, leaving only 8 per cent solids. This bushel 

 of peaches sold readily at $3.00. A heaped bushel of small peaches 

 of the same variety, this bushel containing 400 specimens, showed 

 84 per cent of water, and 16 per cent of dry matter. These were 

 sold with difficulty at 70 cents for the bushel. This shows that the 

 acid juiciness is one of the main factors in the value of fruit. Flavor 

 also adds to the quality of fruit. Flavor is due in part to the 



