PORK AND COOKING. 85 



or the proper heating, of the house. How suggestive of dis- 

 comfort, and distress even, are many of these very old-fash- 

 ioned establishments, to a feeble and sick person, or to an 

 old person, or a very young one, as well as to those who 

 believe we can be comfortable, and live within the bounds of 

 health, at the same time ! 



But let us turn to other themes. While sources of the 

 worst disease may demand an early attention, while we shall 

 first want to despatch the enemy who will shoot or throttle 

 us, let us not forget those which slowly and insidiously plot 

 our injury. 



We well know that a steam-engine can't be worked* with- 

 out a fire under the boiler; and a horse who can't eat or 

 won't eat will be a poor worker. But there are bad and 

 good kinds of fuel to make steam of; and horse-feed is of 

 more than one kind. We don't expect much work or speed 

 from a horse whose belly is full of green grass ; nor can we 

 expect good work from man, woman, or child, in muscle or 

 brain, who is not well fed. 



Of course, our farmers have food enough in bulk and quan- 

 tity. Corn, potatoes, and apples, we are pretty sure of every 

 year; and then there is pork, — the. nastiest and worst flesh 

 upon which man can feed anywhere in the world, unless we 

 except the worms which the Chinese eat. Simple filling, 

 however, is not food. Sawdust and bran will delay death 

 from starvation. It is the preparation of food to which ref- 

 erence is now made, — to cooking and the care of the food 

 which farmers eat. At cattle-fairs, it is true, we always have 

 superb shows of bread, butter, cheese, and so on ; and were 

 this the universal bread, butter, and cheese of farmers, no 

 doubt we should know much less of diseases of the digestive 

 and assimilative organs among them. But may we believe 

 that farmers as a class have the best bread on their tables 

 every day? Is the bread generally light, spongy, and sweet 

 when it is twelve hours old, — the best age at which bread 

 should be eaten ? How many eat the bread when it is hot, 

 and not, therefore, fully prepared for the human stomach 

 well and easily to digest ! Not only do many farmers fail to 

 have the best flour to make into bread, but do they always 

 make the lightest and best bread of what flour they may 

 chance to use ? Is bread-making a study with our cousins 



