FOOD OF RURAL CHILDREN 



123 



Another difficulty with the box luncii is that the ciiild makes eating an al- 

 most continuous performance. He eats something during morning recess, 

 more at noon, again at afternoon recess, and saves something to eat on the 

 way home. Only one teacher was found who had attempted any regulation 

 of this indiscriminate access to the lunch, and she was having a trying time 

 with both children and parents. One mother said to the writer, "I won't let 

 any teacher make my child go hungry." 



In neither town was a hot dish or drink served at noon regularly through- 

 out the school year. The Carver teachers did, on their own initiative, provide 

 either cocoa or soup during the months of January and February. In one 

 instance, the teacher prepared the cocoa at home, brought it several miles to 

 the schoolhouse, and heated it on a grill which she also provided. She stated 

 that, even at the low price of ten cents a week, not all the children took 

 advantage of the service. "It seems that only those who need it least take 

 it — the ones who would be well provided for by their parents anyhow." 



Evening Meals 



The menus of the evening meals are presented in Table 15 and those of the 

 children of native and mixed parentage are also shown in Chart 9. 



Table 15. Principal Items in Evening Meals 



Meat headed the list for tiie Carver children of native parentage, wiiile 

 milk took first place in Southwick. Potatoes were high in both towns. Thirty- 

 live per cent of these Carver evening menus contained milk or cocoa; 78 per 

 cent of the Southwick ones. In desserts Carver greatly exceeded Southwick. 

 In 97 Carver evening meals there were 115 desserts — 21 puddings, 44 pies- and 

 50 pieces of cake, cookies, or doughnuts. Southwick in 112 evening meals 

 had only 88 desserts — 25 puddings, 10 pieces of pie, and 53 other sweets. 



Fond for entire day 



The principal items in the rations for an entire day appear in Table 16 and 

 are given in Chart 10 for the children of native and mixed parentage and in 

 Chart 11 for those of foreign-born parentage. Typical day's menus are given 

 later in the text. 



