1026 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



loss of carbon per 24 hours is 12 ounces, then the food intake of carbon 

 per 24 hours should be 12 ounces; and the same must be true of the twelve 

 or more body elements. In the case of the growing child, the amount of 

 each element furnished in the daily food must exceed that daily excreted 

 from his body. In any case, food must be presented to the body in an 

 organic form, i. e., a form which has been produced by life, either vegetable 

 or animal. Table salt is a noted exception to this rule. 



Nature's Preparation of Food Materials. — All the essential elements 

 of food are found in soil or air. The plant apparently builds its parts from 

 this dead world of matter and serves as food for the animal. Both plant 

 and animal may serve as food for man. In nature's scheme the plant 

 kingdom is intermediate between the inorganic kingdom and the animal 

 kingdom. Always the animal economy returns to the inorganic kingdom 

 its metabolic products to serve again and again in ceaseless cycles of 

 life forms. 



Man's Selection of Food Materials. — In the ages past man has selected 

 food materials from both plant and animal kingdoms. Instinctively, he has 

 selected the most appetizing and nutritious parts of either plant or animal. 

 He has gradually added to his diet, till now it is possible for civilized man 

 to choose from a wide variety of food materials. 



Foodstuffs, their Composition and Functions. — Scientific investi- 

 gation of these food materials shows that man has unerringly chosen 

 substances that are composed of water and of various types of so-called 

 foodstuffs: proteins, fats, carbohydrates and mineral matter. The 

 proteins are composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur 

 (phosphorus and iron sometimes). The fats and the carbohydrates are 

 composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the fats being much the richer in 

 carbon. The mineral matter of the food includes sulphur, phosphorus, cal- 

 cium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, in various combinations. 



The term protein means "I take the first place;" the name is given 

 because the proteins appear to be the most important of the foodstuffs. 

 Their nitrogen and sulphur seem necessary to every living cell of the 

 body. These living cells apparently are constantly breaking down; hence, 

 proteins (nitrogenous foodstuffs) are always needed to repair the worn- 

 out tissues or to build new tissues, as in the growth of the child. The 

 white of egg and the curd of milk are typical protein foodstuffs; the 

 muscle fiber of meat is largely protein; the gluten of wheat (the sticky 

 stuff that permits the making of a dough) consists of proteins. Dried 

 beans and peas are rich in protein. 



Typical animal fats are butter-fat of milk, lard, beef tallow, mutton 

 tallow, fat of chickens; while typical vegetable fats are olive oil, cotton- 

 seed oil and oils of various nuts. 



Typical carbohydrates are the various sugars and starches; e. g., cane 

 sugar, milk sugar, glucose, cornstarch, starch of wheat flour, starch of 

 potatoes. 



