508 TliAXSACTIOiVS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



animals." To sneli a man's wife (if he lias one), I would ad\nse her 

 to keep the doctor on raw potatoes and other vegetables, and let him 

 take his wheat raw for one week, and I think there will be no 

 trouble in convincing him that cooked food does contain more nour- 

 ishment than raw, even for four-footed animals. But, to the subject. 

 Cooking corn meal or other dry feed by steam is often attempted in 

 the same way that potatoes or other watery vegetables are managed. 

 A little thought on this point would save the patience of many far- 

 mers. As I have said before, dry feed, grain, tfec, must have a suffi- 

 cient amount of moisture to soften as well as heat. Not so with 

 vegetables that contain w^ater. Let it be borne in mind that cut feed 

 must first be wet thoroughly and mixed before steaming, while corn 

 meal, &c., should be cooked in water, and if done by steam (to pre- 

 vent burning, &c.,) it will require a wooden vessel that Avill hold 

 water. The importance of steaming potatoes instead of boiling is 

 generally less understood by the masses, and of much more impor- 

 tance, especially at this time, when the tubers are so much affected 

 as to soon decay after being dug. Hence steaming versus boiling is 

 briefly considered here. I have often noted in my practice that, 

 wliile boiling incorporates the poisonous substance near or in the 

 skin that is well known to exist in all potatoes, steaming largely 

 extracts said substance and poisonous qualities, which runs away (if 

 allowed to) with the condensed steam or water. I have often seen 

 it run some distance from the steam vessel, and of a very dark color, 

 and as I am told, sufficiently poisonous to kill lice upon cattle, cVrc. 

 Hence the importance of steaming quickly, and rare done, at this 

 time when the tubers are so much affected, as the steam will thus 

 extract a large per cent of tliose unwholesome qualities. It will rea- 

 dily be seen that if our potato is affected and steamed with others in 

 the same vessel, the good docs not partake of the bad, and may be 

 rejected by the hog or even human, provided it is not mashed together. 

 As to the fattening qualities of potatoes, M'hen well cooked, no man 

 of practice or of good taste will deny. For proof of this assertion, 

 without consulting chemistry, see many a poor or Irish family where 

 potatoes are the principal food. When potatoes are not diseased, I 

 usually mash, after steamed, with meal or mill-feed, pumpkins, 

 a])ples, or any vegetable or refuse that is relished by the animal, and 

 have often noticed that such a variety properly prepared was more 

 eagerly sought after than corn. Hence strict economy in feeding our 

 animals will save millions of dollars to the actual wealth of our 

 country. 



