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About St. Helens mist. (St. Helens, Or.) 1913-1933 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1915)
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION 8 What the Government Has to Say--A Page of Special Artie, American Housewives Are Capable of Mixing Flour THAT the American housewife la her self quite capable of doing nil the flour mixiug desirable Is the commentary of Assistant Secretary of Agriculture .Vrooumn on tho mooted mixed flour ques tion. He says further that the American housewife could materially reduce the cost of living If she were to get the flour mixing habit. "There are some thirty substitutes that can be mixed with wheat flour in making bread," he said In a statement Issued here today. "Many of these are more nutritious than wheat flour; some of them are cheaper than wheat flour, and of these, two or three, at least, are commercially obtainable almost anywhere. "Potatoes, corn flour, and rice (In cer tain sections) can be used with profit In mixture with wheat flour In making yenst bread. With wheat flour as dear as It Is now the careful housewife stands to ef fect quite a saving by using one of these products to eke out her wheat flour. Ex periments have shown that the substi tutes can be used successfully In the pro portion of one part to threo parts of wheat flour. At least three-fourths of the mix ture must be good wheat flour. "Potatoes have a certain advantngo In this regard, since potuto bread can be made without going to the trouble to get the commercial . potato meal. Plain mashed potatoes, four parts of mashed po tatoes to three parts of wheat flour, will serve the purpose quite well. If the dry potato meal or flake Is used, the ratio should be one part of potato to three parts of flour. Boiled rice can bo used In much the same way ns mashed potatoes, care being taken to allow for the water In the rleo and to use about three times as much la bulk as would be used of the rice flour. "In making potato bread the Bponge should be used, and Just enough water to serve to mix the yeast with the potato, since the sponge becomes very soft after partial fermentation. The remainder of the flour Is worked In afterwards, care being taken to make an extra stiff dough, which should be raised till quite light. This bread Is much molster than bread made of straight wheat flour. "Corn flour, which should rost nbout two-thirds the price of wheat flour, may be mixed with wheat flour direct, one part of corn flour to three parts of wheat flour. lTse the mixture just as though It were wheat flour and mix it yourself. "It should be remembered that the ad dition of starchy materials, such as po tatoes, rice or corn starch (which is some times used to adulterate wheat flour in baking) tends to make a loaf less rich In protein and hence less nutritious than the straight wheat flour. Tho addition of corn flour makes little, if anv, change In the nutritive value of the bread, but makes It cheaper. "There are other flour substitutes, such ns soybean meal and pea flour, which serve to add greatly to the nutritive value of the loaf when mixed with wheat flour. These products, unfortunately, ennnot bo recommended In the present emergency, since they are not as yet common articles of commerce In this country. "In this connection it should he said that a great saving could bo effected If the housewife would emulate the profes sional baker and buy low-grado wheat flours. There are flours on the market quite as good for homo baking as the fancy patent flours, which cost In bulk from 20 to 4 0 per cent less than the fancy grades. Such are the so-called "second clear" and "low grade" flours, which are graded lower than patents merely because they are darker, not because they are any less nutritious or less palatable. In fact, the darker color may be evidence thnt the flour Is more nutritious than white flour. "Boston brown bread may be mentioned as a good and very popular medium for the profitable use of flour substitutes. It Is made of equal parts of corn meal, rye meal and graham flour and Is a very nutritious bread. "There are various ways of making over tread Itself so as to effect a considerable saving. Thus stalo bread, crusts, crumbs, etc., can be worked Into palatable prod ucts Buch as bread pancakes, breadcrumb Lienit and breadcrumb cookies. "The nub of the mixed flour ques tion hangs on who does the mixing. If the houswife does the mixing she gets the saving entailed; If the baker or the whole saler does It, ho Is very apt to get the saving as additional profit." Authorization has been secured from Iho Secretary of Agriculture to graze on the National forests of California for the season of 1915, 212,280 cattle and horses, D0;,7i0 sheep and goats, and l)50 swine. Tho National forests are nrerm modating more livestock each year as bet tor methods of handling are brought nbout and new unutilized areas are brought Into use through trail construc tion, water development and other means. Figuring Out Farmer's Real Income EXTENSIVE Investigations Into the profits of farming have indicated that the amount of money which the nv erago farmer receives for his year's work Is little more than that which he would bo paid If ho hired himself out as a farm hand to one of his neighbors. In other words, though the farmer Is In business for himself, the nverago farmer gets little or no money reward for tho Intelligence and skill with which ho has managed his affairs or tho risk and responsibility he has assumed. But ho must get something In return or no one would trouble to farm for him self. A recent study conducted by ex perts In tho Uuited States Department of Agriculture shows that In many cases this reward may best ho found In tho products with which his farm furnishes him di rectly. When a farm Is nearly, if not quite, self-sustulnlng, say agricultural ex perts, when It supplies tho family that lives upon It with most of the' necessities of life, a large money Income Is not neces sary to prosperity. A greater Bum de rived from a farm which yields nothing for home consumption may leave the oc cupants much worse oft. Under the title of "Whut the farm Con tributes Directly to tho Farmer's Living," the Department of Agrlculturo la about to publish the results of a survey of condi tions on a large number of farms In the 10 states of North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Kansas. Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania. New York and Vermont. The farms selected for study, though pos sibly a little more prosperous than the average, were fairly representative of their sections which. It will bo noted, In cluded threo corn and cotton areas, two states In the corn and wheat belt, two regions where general farming was car ried on, and threo different dairy dis tricts. Tho average value of the chief neces sities of life food, fuel, oil nnd shelter used each year by the farm family, the investigators found to he f.VJS.Oft. Of these necessities, estimated In money, tho portion contribu'ed directly by tho farm was $421.17, leaving $173.91 to be pur chased with the cash obtained from tho sale of prndurts. In considering these figures It must bo remembered that If the farmer had been compelled to pay city prices for his home grown necessities, this $421.17 would have represented much less comfort. Cash Cropi Disastrous. Of the food consumed C3 per cent was furnished by the fnrm. This proportion varied greatly In the different sections, but was greatest In tho locality studied In North Carolina, where tho farms supplied R2.3 per cent of tho food consumed, while the average In the New York locality was only SO. 4. In view of the present economic crisis In the South this fact Is regarded ns of par ticular significance, since It demonstrates the extent to which with a proper system of agriculture Southern farms can bo made self-sustaining. Concentration upon one cash crop cotton has proved disas trous and agricultural authorities are now trying In every way to induce the people to adopt a system which will lead to con ditions similar to those now prevailing In this particular area of North Carolina. In this connection tho Investigation re vealed some Interesting facts In regard to the four Items of groceries, nnlmal prod ucts, fruits and vegetables In the average farm family's food bill. Of the value of the food consumed gro ceries constituted practically one-qnurtor, animal products more than one-half, veg etables 11.6 per cent nnd fruit only 6.3. Practically all of the groceries were bought; on the other hand the quantity of fruits and vegetables used was In di rect proportion to the qnnntlty raised on the farm and where this quantity was great the grocery bill was corresponding ly low. Produce nml Bills. ThlB was also found to bo true of ani mal products. Including, of course, not only butcher's meat, but poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, etc. Where these were abun dant on the farm fewer groceries were purchased. Since tho grocery bill was found to bo ordinarily two-thirds of tho entire amount expended In cash for food, one very obvious and effective way of economizing appears to be to raise more vegetables, moro fruit, more milk nnd eggs. In many cases, experts say, this can bo done with no appreciable Incrcaso in trouble or expense. Next to food, shelter Is probably the most Important necessity of life. In con sidering tho farmer's Income, however, a common error In the past has been to Ig nore the question of house rent. Tho value of the houBe has usually been In cluded In tho value of the land and the whole considered as capital Invested on which Interest must be paid before the farmer enn bo regarded us receiving any pay at all. This method, however, assumes that the farm family Is to have shelter for nolh-lug-mi assumption which tho city work er, with whom It Is not unusual to pay out from one-third to one-quarter of his entire wages for rent alone, would regard as most astonishing. According to the recent Investigation, If the avenue farmer had to pay rent, his home would eimt him $125 a year. This figure represent 10 per cent of tho value of the average house. Including Interest, depreciation and repairs, this Is regarded ns a fair rental charge for the class of houses usually found on tho furm. Direct Supply Value. With the Information at their com mand, the Investigators were also In n position to compute tho average cost of hoard nnd lodging on tho farm. In this thev Included an Item very easily forgot teiitho value of the housework per formed by members of tho family. This was reckoned on the bnsls of the wagin that would have had to bo paid for hired assistance. Including this with the more obvious charges for food, fuel, light and rent, It was found thnt board and lodg ing for each individual averaged $14.63 n month. But of this sum, It Is Interesting to note, the farmer paid out In rash only 22 per cent. Exclusive of lodging the board of tho average hired man cost $10 month, but hero ngnln the farmer had only to pay $3. The remaining $7 was furnished by the farm as a result presum ably of tho hired man's own efforts. The averages obtained as tho result of this Investigation are not, of course, to be taken as mathematically exact for tho en tire country. In the opinion of agri cultural experts, however, they point with convincing emphasis to the possibilities of comfort and prosperity that may be realized by a fuller utilization of all tho farm's resources. Cash crops are not the sole, and on the nverago they aro not even tho chief source of real Income. It is really what the farm furnishes directly to tho farmer that enables him to support his family. To Increase the quantity and quality of this direct supply Is one great object of farm management studies. Sis;il Fiber Indispensable for lite Country's Harvest ASEIMOt'S calamity recently threat ened the agricultural Industry bo cruise of tin; disturbance in Yucatan and the announced blockage of the port of Progreso by General Carraiv.n. The har vesting of practically all grains with mod ern machinery was Involved. If tho port of Progreso had been cloned. It would have been Impossible to secure the sisal fiber used In the manufacture of binder twine. It was urgent thnt this fiber be secured Immediately and como forward In largo quantities by the first of April, other wise the factories rould not have manu factured It In time In sufficient volume for the use of the fnrmers In harvesting this senson's crop. It would hnve been necessary to harvest by hand, and to hnvo harvested a large part of the grain In this way would have been Impossible. The matter was so serious that the President and the Secretary of State on representation from the Department of Agrlculturo and the Department of Com merce took the matter promptly In hand. At tho request of tho Presldiint, General Carrnnza abandoned tho blockade of the port of Progreso. In normal years about 200,000,000 pounds of hinder twine are required for harvesting tho grain, corn nnd flax crops. From two-thirds to three-fourths of this Is made from heneqnln sisal fiber, prac tically all of which Is produced In Yuca tan and exported from Progreso. Thlt year the demand for twine Is certain to bo greater than ever. Last year's wheat crop was the largest the country has ever produced; this year's is expected to be still Inrger. Nine hun dred million bushels Is tho estlmato If normnl conditions prevail from now to linrvest. It Is probnblo thnt tho produc tion of the other grains, especially of oats, will also ho Incrensod and the other crops, tho sorghums and corn, will be at least tho equal of normal years. Tho disturbances In Mexico have al ready caused an appreciable shortage In tho stock of fiber now In this country. Between January 1 and February 28, 67, 4 89 bnlcs of 350 pounds each were brought In ns compared with ISO, 059 bales In the samo period Inst year and 1 1 1,054 in 1013. If further supplies had been permitted to bo cut off the lack of twine would have resulted In the loss of a very Inrge portion of tho crops In the very year when they are moat needed. w Shade Trees nnd Oi nnn,nB,., RIr..l,u r... l i I NIAT hind of trees ,,. . If benutlfy our groin,,!,, What shrubs would b mtff , school yards? c ,f These arc questions which ly asked tho United Slate, i,01) Agrlculturo. Sell i m" ' mo uiirvreiit , of the United Slates that In ,, mini jtivnuoiin special rntildriii, ,a u I tf .... ...... I. ., 'U06 .,, m ..-II M erimn, Tin rv nienfs specialists have prowirM . clal list of trees and blniili ,UJ . I ui ..nv nil I'llVUli' (TO!! () i. prlvnto parks and school vr.i. of five genera! divisions of u,. ' States. Tho flvo divisions nrc m f'i i. wiw I'.nginna ntntei, v J Donna. t ."W ' .........,....,.., jurm.y, gjii,, Vlrglnln. Kentucky, indluiu, jtw Illinois. Missouri, lows. 1. Deluwnre. Maryland, Vlrli,, J urtiiinn, niiuin v arouuil, Ourtli nessee, Florida, Alabama. Mlui Louisiana, Arkansas. Okliilmm. - 3. Wisconsin, Minnesota, North l3 ta. South Dakota, Nebraska, Karmal orutio, Wyoming, Montana and Uit A K'..u. II..I... . .1 t. mm ..n-AHW, Arizona, l!tl! Nov ad n. t. California, Oregon nnd Wnhi, These lists aro merely hukkmiit) they Include such trees nnd iif,, seem well adapted to the partlculi: rainy, aim iney may Be or inlni; those w ho are Interested In the hn cation or towns ana cities. Ilveli of thoso In the fifth district, partlc prepared for the Northwest. Deciduous trees (coast rstln Large-leaved maple, tulip tree, hoc asn, r.uropenn notion, sycamore, tn willow. Shrubs (const region ) Itosei. , European holly, lilac, laburnum, gV. nytirnngea pamctiinia, mok oran(e,j quince. Trees (Columbia Mnsln) Srotrb American elm, Norway maple, Kim linden, sycamore, green nih, illm Inr, ItiiHsinn poplar, white willow. Shrubs (Columbia linsin)-l.ltir.t roHes, Phltndelphus, Klocagnui hortd laburnum, splren, lanuirli imur. Ilosn rugosn, barberry. Tho beauty of a shnde treo d, upon Its normal and symmetrical r In order to Insure this, before tlr rut off tho ends of all broken ur nut roots; remove all side branches iy evergreens, so that a straight hl; stnlk alone remains. Dig liulei it two feet In diameter nnd no fool In good soil, nnd make tlnin four across In poor soil. The slilca ol : should be perpendicular mid t tie bi flat. Ilreak up soli In the hot mm of th. to a depth of the length of u uimdtt Place two or threo Inches of fine top free from sods or other !' iiiniiuilt: ganlc mntter, In the bottom of thi On ton of this plure the roots el tree, spread them ns evenly a po4 over the bottom of the hole, and rJ w ith two or threo Inches of tine top us before. Tramn firmly with the feet and (T holo with good earth, leaving the it loose and a little higher (mm ther-i of the surrounding soil. When the i of nlnntlng Is completed. Iho tree ! stnnd about two Inches deeper tfcti stood In tho nursery. In order to Insure symmetry of rH trees must be allowed uiiri-itrlctod for develonment. At lenst 40 fret bo allowed between trees Intended td cupy the ground permanently. V irrrm lni timmnrnrv trees may be pU lmtwei-n tho lonr-llved ones to H Immediate results, but these should M moved as soon as they intertcre wu. development of the permanent f tlons. The lists of trees and shrubs conn In this publication are merely iupr but In all enses tney inciuno m as aro well adapted to the region!. IllK Strawberry Shortage. t. .- niA Ku thn nfflre of IirpuriB jwviin:, "J " . .. . . .. 1 HHHBntiHnli nf tr.t partment of Agriculture, from thM ana district, wnicn snippco lends of strawberries In 19 4, that tho frost of March 21 dejt. Wirrc-ioiin m i l -, ... .... j .. m 1 1. a pvnnrtPu N. will proimoiy rumj . i mcnts of 2000 cars by about nne-fc Tho plants are setting num.... , but heavy shipment, will bo aiw iwo -. . At .. Cer liepons ironi i" ,i , . -o i Alabama ana Arkansas iii.i-.-'- - nge, but crop two weeks inte, r'.nnillun fVlloll Iff! 1 1 1 During tho month of Jununry tl". nndlan Pacific Hallway '"""",. acres of lnnd, occupied by about l' pie. ThlB Is a very high averago w month.
