l68 AGRICUIvTURE 0*" MAINE. 



Of course, in the consumption of food, the result is what we 

 look at. When taken into the mouth a great deal must be made 

 of« that food before it can be used by the cells in the tip of the 

 finger. It is all to be changed in the process of digestion. Af- 

 ter it has been changed by that process, passing into the stomach 

 and intestines, then the food is to be absorbed. It must go from 

 the intestines into the blood stream, and there be carried to all 

 parts of the body. But even if taken to the extremeties of the 

 body, if it is just simply washed back and forth and the cells do 

 not take out of the blood stream what is necessary for growth, 

 it will not help the cells. There are three steps in order to have 

 the food do any good : We digest it, first ; then it is absorbed, 

 and then each cell takes unto itself just what food is necessary. 

 The process is called assimilation. It is a peculiar thing that 

 those cells have the ability to- pick out of that blood just exactly 

 the food necessary for them at that time. If to build they have 

 the ability to pick out what is necessary, and if to repair, to take 

 what is necessary for that. 



We all must have a great deal of energy to get along. Energy 

 is stored in the muscles and in the nerves and brain. Fat is a 

 fine storer of energ}'^ because by its combustion heat and me- 

 chanical motion may result. 



I am sure we have all felt the effect of heat in our work. 

 There is a fine distinction between hurry and speed. It has 

 been said that we should never hurry, but certainly we have to 

 work up to the next point and get speed. 



The uses of the different nutrients we have spoken of. The 

 mineral matter we do not mention very much. Yet it is neces- 

 sary for bone forming, and then it is necessary to have a certain 

 amount of mineral matter present in the blood ; our hearts nat- 

 urally require a certain amount of mineral matter to be in the 

 blood stream; our nerves are helped by the presence of mineral 

 matter. 



Water is a fine aid to digestion, and aho absorption. We 

 know, when we think about it, how much the blood stream is 

 made up of water. We must have this fluid in order to have 

 the blood carried to the different parts of the body. Then 

 water is a fine regulator of the temperature. 



To go deeply into the process of digestion would take far 

 more time than is allowed to us. There are a few practical sug- 



