State Col lege of Washington No . 11
HOME E C O N O M I C S NEWS S E R V I C E
EXTENSION SERVICE U. S. D. A. COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS ********************* ** ************ ************************************************** For Release Not Before Friday Feb. 19, 1937
OVER 10 PERCENT Stat OF CLOTHES CASH of ~7, ~o z GOES FOR HOSE l . 'lGf!to Clothing------Spe- cie.list Gives Five 11 Guideposts" to '~ Us e in Buying
Most women spend from 10 to 20 percent of their clothing allowance for stock
ings, declares Martha Lowery, extension clothing specie.list, State College of Wash
ington; therefore, they should use every precaution in selecting hose, so that they will get the most for their money.
Miss Lowery lists five differer.t things to check on in buying e. pair of hose ,
poir.ting out the necessity of careful "label reading" and adding that many manufac
turers e.re putting more complete information on labels for the guide.nee of consumers.
Add:i.tiona.l information can be secured from salespeople and by careful examination r:£
the hosiery.
Miss Lowery's five "guideposts" include:
1. Be sure the hose fit. This means , first, correct foot size . The hose
should be e.t lee.st two sizes larger than the shoe worn. A cheap hose may have been me.de by using the same me.chine for three different sizes . After washing and dyeing
they a.re stretched to the different sizes . The oonsumer cannot tell this and after washing the hose go be.ck to their knit size . This is one of the reasons why it pays
to buy a standard me.ke of hosiery.
The proper leg length is just e.s important as the correct foot size . If this
information is not stated on the label, ask the clerk to measure the ho se. The av~r
a.ge person needs stockings rr~e.suring 31 inches from the ~ottom of the heel to the top of the welt. Tall persons need longer lengths . Determine t he l ength that best meets your needs and alwnys buy that length.
(MORE) - 2 - Add Over 10 Perce~t
A sufficient stretch at both the top and instep is important in the fit of the hose . To measure the stretch of the top lay a tape measure a.cross the top of the hose and see if it will stretch from 11½ inches to as much as 14 inches . If more stretch than this is needed, outsize hose may be purchased . The stockings should stretch from the heel to the instep seven inches .
To insure a good fit be sure that the hose is full fashioned. This means that the hose was knit on machines that shape it to fit the leg . Young girls may find that circular knit hose fit satisfactorily, but older girls and women need the shaped hose found only in full fashioned.
2. Be sure the weight meets your needs . Most manufacturers make five weights of hosiery, ranging from the two thread sheer chiffon to the 12 thread extra service.
Buy hose by number of threads .
3. Avoid irregularities. Uneven stitches and split yarns in fashion marks may result in a run the first ti.me the hose are worn. Dark rings in the leg of the hose or a definite line across the instep where the foot and leg are joined are not found in first quality hose.
4. Be sure the color is suited to your costume. Buy at least t wo pair of the same kind and color at the same time.
5. Study the label on the hose to determine the quali ty. If the hose are
" seconds" or "redyed" it should be so stated on the label.
--30-- Release Not Bef ore r. Friday Feb. 19, 1937 DIET AND LONGEV I TY by Leila. Wa.11 Hunt Louise Downey College of Home Economics Sta.te College of Washington
The lengt h of ma.n ' s lif e span is increasing . We find ten t imes as many cen
t ena.r ia.ns t oday in proportion to the population as there were 100 years ago. Dur i !ls
the height of the Roma.n Emp ire the average l engt h of l i fe was only thirty yea.rs, and
t he man who reached the age of forty was accredited with a remarkable achi evement.
The baby born t oday has a.n average life expectancy of 70 ye a.r s.
No doub t you a.re wondering why people a.re living longe r t oday than they did
yea.rs a.go. No one thi ng has been discover ed which cont rols t he l eng th of l ife . A
numb e r of things have ma.de contr i butions in t hi s direction. Among t hese is t he i n
f luence of preventat ive medicine, influence of heredi t y, and proper diet. We shall
discuss the latter only since spa.ce prevents .
Human expe rience, as well a s our knowledge of nutrition, shows t hat our vigor
is mar kedly affected by what we do and ~~teat. History reveals that those nations
which use milk as a good part of their diet, supplemented with moderate a.mounts of
me at and cer eals and plenty of f r uits and vegetables lived a longer and more abundant
life . A Russian scientist, Metchnikoff, has called attention to the long life and
vi gor of the pastoral peoples of whose diet soured and fermented milks form so large
a pa.rt . He advanced the theory that intesti nal putrefaction plays an impor tant role
in br inging about the d~generative changes of old age and recommended the consumption
of considerable quantities of soured or "lactic aoid" milks a.s a means of keeping
one ' s vitality unimpaired. Dr. Sherman of Columbia University has shown how a single
change in the diet of rats influenced markedly their length of life . He selected
four rats of identical heredity, and dividing them into two equal groups , fed two
diets of the same composition with the exception t hat t he be st diet had twice as
muoh whole milk powder in it as the other; yet the latter was considered adequate .
(iv1C'RE) - 4 - Add Diet and Longevity
This work was carried on f or t hirty generations of t hese animals . By t his s i mp le change i n t he diet the life span of the rats was increased t en percent. Translated into human experience , this study surely indicat es t hat the life span of man may be lengt hened t hrough proper diet. There are other foods besides milk that make impor t ant contributions t o health . Good nutrition in pr oper combi nation wi t h other sani t ary and hygienic factors can, it seems , actually prolong lif e .
Tho se who succeed in retaini ng their yo uthful v igor i n t he l ater ye ars of l i f e are usually no t i nact i ve people, but , on the contrary, are those who are acti ve mental l y and mo deratel y act i ve physically . The most no t able t rait which t hey have in common is adhe rance to a very simple and abst emi ous diet, free from i rrlll1oderat ion i n al l respects .
The diet should consist of a small amount of si mple, easily digested f oods whi ch contain a l i ttle prot ein of good quality and are rich i n mi neral salts and vitami ns . The f ood sho uld be t horoughly masticated. A simple, r egular life should be f ollowed, with a proper pr oportion between work, recreation and rest. No excesses should be i ndulged in, because it may place undue strain upon weakened organs or tissues . Avoid unfavorable me ntal or emotional conditions. Avoid overweight and constipation.
If we do attain this longer life it wil l mean nothing t o us unless we are able t o do our work and enjoy it. To prolong life j ust to exi st is no t er.ou gh . What roads we trave l matters ve~y little . That we arri ve at our d~ s ired goal and that the goal be worthwhile--t hat i s t he test of a successful lif e .
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