ALIMENTS DERIVED FROM THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 91 



excepting oats. In this country, some of the earlier and 

 more tender varieties, commonjy called sweet corn, are used 

 as a fresh vegetable, being simply boiled or roasted ; and 

 in this form are nutritious, and, as a rule, easily digestible. 

 Corn-meal is used in the preparation of what is called corn- 

 bread and various cakes and puddings. Corn -bread is a very 

 common article of diet in the Southern States. Articles made 

 from corn-meal cannot take the place of wheaten bread ; and 

 when not carefully prepared are apt to cause diarrhoea in 

 persons not accustomed to their use. On account of the 

 proportion of oil, corn and corn-meal are very useful in fat- 

 tening animals, particularly swine. In the large cities of the 

 United States and in Europe, corn-meal is not a very im- 

 portant article of diet. 



Rye-meal is sometimes used to make bread. The bread 

 is more compact than wheat-bread, has a peculiar taste, a 

 brown color, and is less nutritious. In many parts of the 

 world rye is used instead of wheat on account of its cheap- 

 ness ; and in this country it is sometimes used with the idea 

 that it is more digestible and nutritious. It makes very good 

 bread, but cannot take the place of wheat. In composition 

 rye is distinguished from wheat in containing less nitrogen- 

 ized matter and a larger proportion of dextrine and sugar. 



Buckwheat does not differ materially from rye, except 

 that it contains very much less dextrine and sugar. In this 

 country it is seldom used except in. making baked cakes, 

 which are here very highly esteemed. In some of the poorer 

 sections of the old world, buckwheat mixed with wheat-flour 

 is used in making bread ; but this is only on account of its 

 cheapness, for it does not improve the flavor of bread, and is 

 much inferior to wheat in nutritive properties. 



Oat-meal is not an important article of diet in this 

 country, though it is largely used in Scotland and some of 

 the northern parts of England. It contains a large propor- 

 tion of oil, over five per cent., w r ith peculiar aromatic princi- 

 ples. It is very much used as food for horses ; and for this pur- 



