POTATO. 581 
the cheese stands in need. Apples are excellent for the brain, 
and intellectual writers should take them freely ; but Potatoes, 
on the contrary, make one dull, peevish, and lazy, if eaten 
constantly, or in exress. “‘ Amongst foods proper for boys may 
be well included” writes Mr. Miles, “ Potatoes, baked with 
sage, and onion. Take two large Potatoes, six onions of good 
size, two ounces of butter, two teaspoonfuls of powdered sage, 
and one ounce of bread-crumbs. Peel the Potatoes, and cut 
them lengthways into slices about half an inch thick; place 
six of these slices in a baking tin, or dish, which has been well 
greased with an ounce and a half of butter. In the meantime 
peel, and boil the onions for a quarter of an hour in a little salted 
water, and the sage (tied in a small muslin bag) together with 
them for the last five minutes. Chop the onions, and sage, and 
mix with the bread-crumbs, and half an ounce of butter, and 
spread the mixture thickly over the slices of Potato; then bake 
for one hour.” 
A Potato scoop was formerly a hand-implement in the form of 
a grated shovel for taking up Potatoes which had been first un- 
earthed by a Potato-digger ; the soil slips through the grated bars, 
which detain the tubers. The Irish peasant, who lives chiefly 
on Potatoes, has to take so much in bulk for obtaining adequate 
nourishment, that he gets the so-called Potato-belly. Because 
of their decided alkaline properties, and action, Potatoes are to 
be commended in a simple form at breakfast for gouty persons. 
The excretion of urates occurs more actively during the morning 
hours than throughout the rest of the day, and therefore corrective 
alkaline food is especially desirable at the first meal. But the 
Potatoes must not be fried in fat, or otherwise made indigestible 
merely to please the appetite. Plain Kegeree, (prepared with 
boiled mealv Potato instead of rice,) Potato snow, Potato bread, 
and Potato purée, are suitable dishes for this purpose ; likewise 
eggs, and Potatoes. ‘ Boil seven, or eight floury Potatoes, and 
mash them while quite hot ; add one ounce of butter, the yolk of 
an egg, pepper, and salt ; also, if liked, a little pounded onion, and 
some boiled, minced parsley. Roll the Potatoes into egg-like 
shape, brush them over with beaten egg, and cover with fine 
bread-crumbs well seasoned with salt, and white pepper; put 
them into the oven to brown (not frying them). The Potatoes 
should be boiled for half an hour, allowing one pound of these 
for three persons. 
