FOOD OF RURAL CHILDREN 113 



have potatoes at least once a day. There are, consequently, no diets in which 

 the vegetable score is less than 5, which is the allowance for potatoes once 

 a day. 



The Carver diets scored higher in vegetables than tiiose of Southwick. No 

 conclusive reason for this has been found and the difference cannot be ex- 

 plained with any certainty. Whether the greater use of eggs in Southwick 

 led to less use of vegetables, or whether the difference is owing to the condi- 

 tions of sampling is not entirely clear. It would not seem that between 

 March (when the Carver records were taken) and May (when the field work 

 was done in Southwick) tliere would be enough difference in the supply of 

 vegetables to affect the replies of the mothers as to the usual amounts eaten 

 by the children. It is recognized that inevitably many of the mothers had a 

 tendency to report the practice current at the time of the visit as the usual 

 practice, irrespective of season. 



One factor in the difference in the vegetable scores of the two towns may 

 perhaps be found in the difference between the groceries of Carver and 

 Southwick. Carver was particularly fortunate in having a most excellent 

 grocery. Personal inspection by the investigator was made of all the grocer- 

 ies in each town, and Southwick had none to compare, so far as stock carried 

 is concerned, with this one. During March, its manager had always on hand 

 a good assortment of raw vegetables, including spinach, and also a large 

 supply of canned goods, — all for sale at reasonable prices. This grocery 

 undoubtedly has an influence upon the dietary habits of the families who do 

 their buying there. 



The difference between the use of vegetables in the two towns is not, how- 

 ever, as great as that between the milk utilization. With 23 the optimal 

 vegetable score, one of 16 or over may be taken as representing a fair amount 

 of vegetables in the diet. In Carver, 51 per cent of the children of native 

 parentage had vegetable scores of 16 or over, against only 26 per cent in 

 the native group of Southwick. Among children of foreign-born parent- 

 age, 35 per cent in Carver and 37 per cent in Southwick had vegetable scores 

 of 16 or more. And, taking all children together, 45 per cent in Carver and 

 28 per cent in Southwick had fair amounts of vegetables in the diet. The 

 difference between the two towns is greater when we consider only the chil- 

 dren with excellent scores for vegetables; i.e., 20 plus. Here we find 26 per 

 cent of the Carver children of native parentage; only 2 per cent of those in 

 Southwick. And, for all children, the percentages having excellent vegetable 

 scores are 19 for Carver and 5 for Southwick. Why such large differences 

 should exist is not apparent. 



The Fruit Scores 



Here, too, as in the case of vegetables. Carver diets score higher than 

 those of Southwick. This difference, though, can be explained without dif- 

 ficulty, for a careful scrutiny of the original records reveals the fact that in 

 almost every instance the higher fruit scores of Carver are due to the use 

 of many cranberries. 



The two raw fruits eaten most freely in both Carver and Southwick are 

 apples and oranges. Surprisingly few bananas were reported. Apples, in 

 both towns, are plentiful and cheap. Oranges are willingly purchased by 

 many housewives at prices which make them an expensive item on the menu. 



Aside from the cranberries of Carver, very little cooked fruit or sauce was 

 used in the families studied. Only two of the 144 housewives from whom 



