than we shall with hominy.  This does not mean that hominy is not an excellent and a cheap food, but it does mean that when the strictest economy must be practiced it pays to buy oatmeal.  The task of the housewife is to find out how much she can make acceptable to her family; how much she can serve as breakfast food, how much in muffins and bread, how much in soups and puddings.  This economy is strictly in harmony with the principles of food conservation—­saving of wheat, so hard to do without entirely, so easy to dispense with in part.

Cornmeal gives as good a nutritive return per pound as cream of wheat, so that as long as the price of cornmeal is not higher than that of the wheat product it is both good economy and good patriotism to use it as far as one can.  And, even if cornmeal should be dearer than wheat, one can save money by increasing the proportion of cereals in the diet so as to be able to be patriotic without increasing the food bill.

A second measure which generally makes for food economy is to emphasize the use of dried fruits and vegetables.  The score of some of these foods almost speaks for itself: 

Dried fruits       Score value
and vegetables      per pound

Beans                 3,350
Peas                  2,960
Apples                  955
Dates                 1,240
Figs                  1,782
Prunes                1,135
Raisins               1,550

    Fresh fruits
    and vegetables

Beans                   472
Peas                    475
Apples                  156
Bananas                 236
Oranges                 228
Peaches                 138
Pears                   228

From the foregoing it is evident that, unless the cost of a pound of fresh apples is less than one-fifth that of dried ones, the dried will be cheaper; that if dates and raisins cost the same per pound they are equally economical to buy.  It may be noted, too, that the return on a pound of dried fruit may be quite as good in its way as the return on a pound of a grain product, but they will be equally cheap only when they cost the same per pound in the market.  Here, again, there is no incompatibility between economy and conservation of special foods.  Even in the case of beans is this true, for, while certain kinds are wanted for the army and navy, there are dozens of kinds of beans; one may count it as part of one’s service to find out where these can be obtained, how they are best cooked and served.  Soy beans commend themselves for their nutritive value, but how many American housewives have made them a part of their food program?  How many have tried to buy them or asked their dealers to secure them?