364 SCOPE OF HOUSEHOLD ECONOM V. 



cheaply, and they retain their flavor well; one of the most useful, how- 

 ever, parsley, is much better fresh ; by all means keep a little box of it 

 growing in a window. Perhaps, after onion, celery is most useful for 

 soups and stews, root, stem, leaves, and seeds being all valuable. 



" In the flavoring of soups and stews, it is well to use a number of 

 flavors, letting no one of them be prominent above the others ; on the 

 other hand, it is well to have certain favorite dishes seasoned always in 

 the same way; as fresh pork, sage; summer savory in a bread dressing, 

 and so forth. 



" We believe that it is better to go a little high rather than too low 

 with proteid food. As a rule, people who eat enough proteid, and es- 

 pecially enough animal food, are vigorous, and have what we call 

 'stamina;' and doctors incline to the belief that such people resist 

 disease better because their blood and tissues are less watery than in 

 the case of people who draw their proteids almost entirely from such 

 vegetables as potatoes. But many workingmen in America would be 

 surprised to learn how well health and strength can be maintained on 

 what is, after all, not such a very large amount of meat, provided the 

 rest of the dietary contains enough vegetable proteid and fat. 



"We cannot economize in the amount of our food beyond certain 

 limits and yet remain healthy and strong; also, we must not greatly alter 

 the relative proportion in which experience has shown that these foods 

 are best combined. The true field of household economy has, then, 

 certain prescribed limits. 



" Its scope lies as follows: 



"1. In furnishing a certain food principle in its cheap rather than 

 in its dearer form; for example, the proteid of beef instead of that of 

 chicken, fat of meat instead of butter. 



" 2. Having bought foods wisely, in cooking them in such a manner 

 as to bring out their full nutritive value; for instance, making a roast 

 juicy and delicious instead of dry and tasteless. 



"3. In learning how to use every scrap of food to advantage, as in 

 soup-making. 



"If we add to these the art of so flavoring and varying as to make 

 simple materials relish, we have covered the whole field of the house- 

 hold economist so far as the food question is concerned. 



" Few things are of more importance than that we should find our- 

 selves, physically and mentally, equal to our day's work; but not many 

 of us realize how largely this depends upon the food we eat. 



