2/0 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



doughy substances is a thing to be avoided and not cultivated 

 if health is. a consideration. You can readily perceive from 

 these facts that a person can starve while seeming to be well 

 nourished. The proteids are w^hat we depend upon to build up 

 the human structure. Inability, through any cause, to obtain 

 these elements from food breaks down the muscular walls of 

 the body and the tissues starve in their effort to support life. 



A mason would never think of using poor mortar in ce- 

 menting the walls of a building together. Should not we be 

 just as particular with the human house, or body, and select 

 and consume only that form of nourishment which is necessary 

 for its growth and strength? Nature protests when sinned 

 as:ainst but we do not alwavs heed. Indigestion is but the 

 warning voice of dyspepsia ; dyspepsia but the forerunner of 

 disease ;. still we not only continue to improperly masticate our 

 food, but to improperly prepare it. 



Over eleven thousand million pounds of meat is consumed 

 in this country every year, due, to a great degree, to a lack of 

 knowledge in preparing vegetables in a palatable manner. 

 The preparation of delectable pastry, I am sorry to say, seems 

 to be a stronger point for consideration. In the cooking of 

 even the plain and homely potato there is an art. This vege- 

 table is a much abused article of diet, for without a knowledge 

 that the best and most nourishing part of the potato lies next 

 to the skin, it is thickly pared, and usually cooked in a way not 

 intended to elicit words of appreciation. 



In preparing potatoes for the table they should be scrubbed 

 well with a vegetable brush and after cutting out all bad por- 

 tions they should be cooked with the jackets on. If they are 

 to be boiled drop them in hot water, after seeing that the pota- 

 toes are about equal in size, and keep them constantly and 

 steadily boiling until done. This condition is only attained 

 when the starch cells of the potato burst and it is only then 

 that the potato will pierce done and is fit for food. When 

 this condition has been reached they should immediately be 

 drained and placed in a hot tureen and covered with a towel of 

 loose texture in order that the steam may escape and the po- 

 tato remain dry and mealy. In baking a potato there should 

 be maintained a low degree of heat, for then its skin will peel 

 off in a thin coat and the most nutritive part of the potato be 

 preserved. In ascertaining whether the potato has baked suffi- 



