VALUE OF FOOD, FUEL, AND USE OF HOUSE. 



reduced with proper household management; but butter makuig on 

 the farm can not wisely be encouraged when the milk and cream 

 may be sold. Where only a few cows are kept for the family supply 

 of milk and butter, butter making on the farm may not be out of 

 place, for it is easier to market a few pounds of butter every week 

 than a few quarts of milk every day. 



Table V. — Distribution of value of food used annually (950 families). 



County and State. 



Percent oftotal value of food in each class. 



Grocer- 

 ies. 



Animal 

 products. 



Fruit. 



Vegetar 

 bles. 



Oxford, Me 



Lamoille, Vt 



Otsego, N. Y 



Bucks, Pa 



Gloucester, N. J 



Gaston,N.C 



Troup, Ga 



McLennan, Tex 



Champaign, Ohio 



Jeflerson, Wis 



Montgomery, Iowa 



Cloud, Kans 



Cass, N. Dat 



Santa Clara, Cal 



Average, all families 



25.9 

 31.0 

 27.7 

 27.1 

 24.9 

 21.0 

 21.1 

 24.2 

 25.5 

 26.0 

 22.0 

 22.9 

 22.3 

 25.2 



56.9 

 52.7 

 55.5 

 56.4 

 57.3 

 55.0 

 56.6 

 60.6 

 60.7 

 56.0 

 61.0 

 58.8 

 63.6 

 58.6 



7.2 

 5.8 

 6.0 

 6.5 

 5.0 

 8.7 

 5.1 

 3.7 

 6.3 

 8.0 

 6.0 

 7.0 

 6.6 

 7.9 



10.0 



10.5 



10.8 



10.0 



12.8 



15.3 



17.2 



11.5 



7.5 



10.0 



11.0 



11.3 



7.5 



8.3 



24.8 



57.8 



11.0 



GROCERIES. 



This class of foods constitutes about 25 per cent of the total food 

 used. The most important items of food in this group, in quantities 

 consumed, are sugar and fioiu". The quantity of sugar and flour 

 bought depends upon the individual tastes of the famihes. Those 

 doing much canning naturally use the most sugar. In some sections 

 bread is bought and thus less flour consumed. In some sections 

 sugar is bought by the dollar or half dollar's worth, in others in 5 and 10 

 pound lots, and in still others it is common practice to buy in 25 or 

 100 pound bags. Trading is most generally done in small quantities. 

 Occasionally a family will buy certain of its grocery items from mail- 

 order houses. 



The practice of trading farm products for groceries is becoming 

 less prevalent. The common products used for trading are butter 

 and eggs. Less butter is being made on the farm than heretofore, 

 and eggs often find a better market than the grocery, so that it is a 

 very common occurrence in many communities for farmers to pay 

 cash for all their groceries. 



In some communities it is still common practice with farmers to 

 take com and wheat to the mill to be ground into meal and flour for 

 family use. In some southern sections this is still the usual procedure, 

 and undoubtfidly is to the financial advantage of the farmer. It 

 seems, however, to be gradually losing favor. 

 53685"— Bull 410—16 2 



