ready to eat, and
presenting pure nutriment in the most condensed and refined form known
to science. Fresh meats are always contaminated with colon and
putrefactive germs with which they become contaminated in the
slaughtering process. If flesh is to be used as food, animals should be
killed with the same antiseptic precautions which are employed in modern
surgery. This is never done, and within a few days after killing, the
flesh of a slaughtered animal is swarming with colon germs, and when
long kept for use of hotels and many restaurants, is covered with a
beard of green mold. Such food is fit only for scavengers. Hamburger
steak and pork liver often contain more manure germs than the fresh
droppings of animals.

The liberal substitution of nuts for meats would save billions annually.

According to Prof. Baker, of the Department of Agriculture, fully 80 per
cent of the total feed and food products in the United States is
consumed by live stock. Most of these animals are consumed as food.

The enormous loss involved is shown by the fact that 100 pounds of
digestible foodstuffs are required to produce 3 pounds of beef.

According to an announcement by the United States Bureau of Statistics,
the per capita annual cost of meat in the United States is more than
$80.00, which totals for the whole population nearly $10,000,000,000 per
annum.

Prof. Baker suggests that the annual per capita consumption of meat
might without injury be reduced from the present 170 pounds to fifty
pounds, which would make a saving of $6,000,000,000 at least, for
$1,000,000,000 would easily supply from nuts and other plant sources
more than enough food to replace the discarded meats.

The general belief that nuts are an expensive food is an error. When a
man pays a dollar for three pounds of steak, he is probably not aware of
the fact that three-fourths of what he buys is simply water, so that the
actual solid nutriment purchased amounts to not more than three-quarters
of a pound, making the actual cost of the water-free food $1.33 per
pound.

Two pounds of almonds or other nut meats which might be purchased at the
same cost, would yield twice as much and better food.

If the whole beef industry were wiped out, the country would be the
gainer.

What the nut industry needs most is a campaign of education to tell the
American public about the superior values of nuts and to correct the
errors broadcasted by the Meat Board. The public mus