1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



611 



neutralize that quality. The progress of disintegra- 

 tion, by the mers mechanical action of the elements, and 

 of tillage, is, indeed, very slow ; but vvh(?n the chemical 

 decomposing action of the soil, (or of putrescent ma- 

 nures, in compost,) is added, the reduction of all 

 " half decomposed shells" is so rapid, that no objec- 

 tion to their use will be found on that score. Such is 

 our experience of fossil sea shells, such as the marl 

 beds usually present ; and they are fully as firm as the 

 old oyster shells of the Indian banks have appeared to 

 our view, and as they are described to be by Dr. 

 Muse. 



In regard to the remarks of the author of the ' Ad- 

 dress' on the importance and need of legislative aid 

 to agricultural improvement, we have only to join 

 our ardent wishes that his success in stimulating such 

 action may be equal to his zeal in urging the great end 

 of the support of agricultural interests. But our wish 

 can scarcely be termed a hope — unless the legislature 

 of Maryland is composed of very different materials 

 from that of Virginia. But we shall not cease to raise 

 our voice, and exert our efforts, for this object, whether 

 with or without hope. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 FOOD. 



It appears to be a wise dispensation of Provi- 

 dence, that has provided that each slep in the ad- 

 vance and developement of matter, shall furnish 

 the means of a higher and more complicated ma- 

 terial existence. This truth can be disiinctlv^ 

 traced in every species of organization, but in 

 none more conclusively than in those which are 

 intended for food, or a supply of nutrition to ani- 

 mals and man. The ox could not appropriate 

 the simple elements that constitute fiesh and 

 bones directly from the soil; it was necessary that 

 the vegetable organization should intervene, to 

 take up and prepare these elements lor his use; 

 and man, onmivorous as he is, shows little incli- 

 nation to resort to herbage when he can get roast 

 beef, and the example of Nebuchadnezzar in go- 

 ing to grass, has as yet, obtained but few follow- 

 ers. 



That man was destined to eat meat, is demon- 

 strated from his anatomical conformation ; and 

 euch destination agreeing with his inclination, it 

 is probable, in spite of fashionable lectures on ve- 

 getable diet, that he will eat meat whenever it 

 can be procured, which, fortunately for the labor- 

 ing man of this country, is very easily done. 

 Such being the case, it becomes an important 

 question in domestic economy, so to cook or pre- 

 pare this essential part of sustenance so as to 

 have it the most nutritious, and at the same time 

 waste the least in cooking. 



Flesh, in all its varieties of muscle, membrane, 

 and tissues, is composed of gelatine, fibrine, albu- 

 inine, and ozmazome ; but these principles do not 

 exist in al! flesh in the same proportions, and they 

 vary according to the age and species of the ani- 

 mal. Gelatine abounds in young animals — in 

 older ones fibrine prevails. Albumine is found 

 more or less in all. Ozmazome is scarcely pre- 

 eent in the flesh that is white, as veal and pullets; 

 but in beef or full grown animals, is abundant. 

 To this last substance both jowe its color, its aro- 

 matic odor, and agreeable flavor. To the proper 



proportion and combination of these substances the 

 nutritive properties of flesh are owing, and when 

 these are destroyed or dissipated in cooking, the 

 value of meat for food isinthesame proportion less- 

 ened. 



Meat is usually prepared for food by boiling or 

 roasting, yet whatever the mode may be, there 

 must be some loss, consisting chiefly of juices, so- 

 luble matter, and fat. Prelessor VVallace of 

 Edinburgh, instituted a series of experiments to 

 ascertain the relative amount of loss by the pro- 

 cesses of boiling or roasting, and admitting the 

 quantity of bone in each case to be the same, 

 which was near the fact, the result was as fol- 

 lows : 



100 lbs. of beef lost in boiling, 26| lbs. 



100 do. do. in roasting, 32 " 



100 do. do. in baking, 30 " 



100 do. of legs of mutton, averaging 

 about nine and a half lbs. each, 

 lost in boiling, - - - 21^ " 



100 do. shoulders of mutton, averag- 

 ing ten lbs. each, lost in roast- 

 ing, - - - - 31J •-' 



100 do. ol loins of mutton, averaging 

 eight and three-fourth lbs. each, 

 lost in roasting, - - - 35^ " 



100 do. necks of mutton, averaging ten 



pounds each, lost in roasting, 32| " 



By the.se experiments it appears that in boiling 

 beef or mutton, the loss is less than in roasting ; 

 and that meat loses in the cookitjg from one-filth 

 to one-third its weight. The average loss in boil- 

 ing and roasting, according to Professor Wallace, 

 was 28 per cent., but while legs of mutton only 

 lost 21 pounds in boiling per hundred, loins of 

 mutton in roasting lost per hundred 25 lbs. 



In preparing his volume on domestic economy 

 for ' Lardner's Cyclopedia,' Professor Donovan 

 insituted a more extensive and rigorous set of ex- 

 periments, in order to ascertain the actual loss in 

 cooking by different methods, and the cost to the 

 consumer of each pound of meat of the various 

 kinds, divested of bone, and purchased for cooking 

 at the usual market price. This examination 

 gave rise to some curious results, embodied in 

 a table, a few items of which we have selected as 

 showing the difl'erence in price between raw and 

 cooked food, and the average loss in cooking. 



Cost p. lb. Cost p. lb. Lossp. ct. 

 Kinds of food raw. cooked. in cookinj 



nd 



13 



Sailed beef boiled, Qd. 



Salted brisket of 

 beef boiled, 6 



Legs of mutton do 8 



Salt pork, do. 8 



Shoulders of mut- 

 ton roasted 7 



Ribs of beef, do. 8 



Legsof mutton do. 8 



Sirloin of beef do. 8 



Haunch of ven- 

 son do. - 



Woodcocks do. - 



Quails do. - 



In the experiments the meat was carefully dis- 

 sected liom the bones, so as to ascertain tlie exact 



