136 State Horticultural Society. 



do all the allium 1 ti-ibes. But the great Creator has made, as admirahle 

 proAHsion for our uceds as if we could go to the storehouse and obtain 

 them at first hand — <miy unlike the grass and the lily of the field which 

 toil not neither d<. they spin — we must expend force and energy — we 

 must toil to give our bodies food. Probably nature's economy is herein 

 rie-ht, thouch mankind have since Eve ate the apple l)een quarreling 

 with the fate which has so decreed. The cereals have proven to be 

 nature's second hand storehouse, combining more nearly all the elements 

 needed by the body, and in more nearly the right proportions than any 

 other availal)le food product. Of all grain foods wheat is the best, as 

 it seems to contain all the iive food principles. The most healthful food 

 will always be that l)est adapted to the wants of the user and there must 

 be a certain amount of indiA'iduality, and in choosing combinations which 

 give proper quantities of the several food principles one must be guided 

 not only by the amount of each principle, but its digestibility when so 

 compounded, also its palatableness. To secure appetizing results it is 

 quite as important as to have nutritious elements, for the best of food 

 would otherwise go begging on our tallies. Mrs. "Weeks says, "Flavors, 

 savoriness, are all aid to digestion, but this means something very dif- 

 ferent from our American fashion of black pepper over every thing."' 

 The use of sweet herbs is regarded as a foreign fashion, and the American 

 who says: "Give me good plain cooking, has his portion of dyspepsia in 

 large part because of the lack of intelligence of these things; for the 

 plainest, simplest food l)y their use is made enjoyable." There i- a 

 very seeming possibility that excessive use of condiments would bring 

 more injury and dyspepsia than lack of them, however we will not quar- 

 rel over this now, Ix'ing more interested in knowing what rule is to 

 govern us in our choice of proper kind and quantity of food material. 

 German chemists liax'e experimented so carefully — we are told that they 

 have accounted for every partical of food passing through the body of 

 man and have constructed dietaries for use among the lower people, their 

 soldiers being fed so many grains of carbohydrates — so much of protein 

 and so much of fats. ^Irs. Rorer says in Household Xews, "We have 

 in the vegetable kingdom ripe peas, beans, lentils, rich in nitrogen and 

 consequently good muscle making food. One gets double the amount 



