I32 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



COMPARATIVE QUANTITY AND COST OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE 



FOODS. 



It is interesting and suggestive to note the relations in quan- 

 tity and cost of the animal and vegetable foods in the five diet- 

 aries. These relations are very clearly shown in the following 

 abstract of figures from the second table in each dietary: 



RELATIVE AMOUNTS OF NUTRIENTS IN ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FOODS. 



XCTErE>~TS. 



Food j 



materials- Pl . otein Fat< Carbohy- 



iioiem. ±ats. drates. 



First dietarv (No. 145) : Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 



Animal food 51. 8 59.S 93.5 5.S 63.7 



Vegetable food 48.2 40.2 6.5 94. -2 36.3 



Second dietaiT (No. 119) : 



Animal food 57.1 71.7 96.5 8.6 



72.8 



Vegetable food 42. b 28.3 3.5 91.4 27.2 



Tblrd dietarv (No. 150} : 



Animal food 58.6 63.4 95.3 9.S 66.4 



Vegetable food 41.4 36-6 4.7 90.2 33-9 



Fourth dietarv (No. 151; : 



Animal fobd 46.7 56.7 94.5 6-7 71.0 



Vegetable food 51.3 43.3 5.5 93.3 29.0 



Fifth dietarv No. 152; : 



Animal food 60.3 64.2 95.7 12.3 73.1 



Vegetable food 39.7 35. S 4.3 87.7 26.9 



Average : 



Animal food 54.5 63.0 95.0 9.0 69.0 



Vegetable foorl 45.5 37.0 5.0 i 91.0 31.0 



The gross weight of the animal foods purchased varied from 

 48.7 to 60.3 per cent, of the total food, and their cost varied from 

 63.7 to 73.1 per cent, of the total cost. The average gross weight 

 of the animal foods for the entire 209 days was 54.5 per cent, of 

 the total food weight, and their proportion of cost was 69.2 per 

 cent, of the total cost. These figures illustrate the relative 

 economic importance of the animal food of the dietary, and, con- 

 sidered in connection with the great variation in the cost of the 

 nutrients in the different kinds of meat, show very clearly the 

 direction in which a family of moderate means has the largest 

 and most promising opportunity for the exercise of economy. 



When we see that practically two-thirds of the protein and 

 nearly all of the fat were supplied from the animal foods and 

 over nine-tenths of the carbohydrates from the vegetable foods, 

 it is easy to understand how the character of the diet is readily 



