Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1917 — Rice Thrown Away at One Wedding Equal to Soldier’s Food Ration for Whole Day. [ARTICLE]

Rice Thrown Away at One Wedding Equal to Soldier’s Food Ration for Whole Day.

The custom of throwing rice at weddings is a wasteful one, in the opinion of C. E. Vail of the Colorado Agricultural college. _ . “it is unnecessary, to say the least,” he declares, “and if one stops to consider the probable amount thus wasted in the entire United States each year, one is the more impressed with the absurdity of the custom. At the present time, when the whole country is aroused to the need of food production and food conservation, the throwing of rice at weddings is a matter for the attention of those who are trying to solve the food problem. Rice has a fuel value of 1,630 large calories per pound, as compared with 1,306 calories from white bread, 1,655 frofii cornmeal and 325 from potatoes. The United States soldier’s food ration is abou| 4,200 calories per day. In throwing away three pounds of rice there are wasted 4,890 food calories. The lesson should be quite obvious.”