154 
Department of Weights and Measures issues cards stating the 
number of pounds of a given vegetable in a bushel of that vege- 
table, as for instance a bushel of potatoes should weigh sixty 
pounds. So much has been said about ‘“‘shoriage” in vee 
et — of potatoes are marked one peck, 15 lbs. or 4 peck, 
* all vegeeables of this nature should be kept in a cool, dry place. 
hey all need to be scrubbed and the outside skin removed. 
Potatoes gaia be pared thinly, as the best part is directly under 
h e turnip, quite the opposite is true. Carrots 
scraped, aa ae and parsnips cooked with the skins pee 
skins to be removed easily, after cooking, by plunging into cold 
water. 
In the spring the vegetables must be soaked for a long time 
in fresh cold water, to supply the water lost during the winter. 
After paring or scraping, always put vegetables in cold water, 
until ready to cook, to avoid discoloration. Cook in boiling, 
salted water, and the best plan is to make a time-table for one- 
self. Beets take a very long time to cook, several hours, and an 
excellent way is to put them in a tin pail, cover with boiling 
water, and bake in the oven, if one uses coal; gas is too expensive 
to use for such cooking. Or boil the beets for half an hour, and 
place in the fireless cooker. 
ere is a great difference of opinion as to temperature for 
the cooking of such vegetables. Is it better to cook at a low 
temperature for a long time, or at a higher temperature for a 
shorter time? All of these vegetables contain valuable mineral 
salts, and many claim that we lose these by using a large quantity 
of water, and then throwing it away. The French use it for 
soup, and if one has a large family, this is a good way to obtain a 
well-flavored cream soup. 
All of the eae may be boiled and served with butter or 
a cream sauce, or boiled and mashed. Often two may be com- 
bined to a good advantage, such as turnips and potatoes, or 
carrots and turnips. Any left-over boiled vegetables may be 
made into cream soups, or scalloped with the addition of cheese, 
or used in a salad, 
