Feb. 1, 1900.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURlSt. 
1872—1885 prices falling ; 118^ ceuts (Dutch) 
per I kg. 
1885—1890 prices going up ; 165 cents (Dutch) 
per i kg. 
IV.— USE. 
The old German and the old Flemish songs 
almost identical in their opening lines, singiog 
tha praises " of the two little trees standing in 
my love's garden," are an instance of the secret 
poetical charm which things oriental have 
always exercised on the western mind. As 
Camoens sang in the Lusiad, Heine in his Lieder 
on the Ganges, enriching literature with the 
glowing picture of oriental beauty, so in a more 
matter of fact way the most famous cookery 
books of olden days are redolent with the scent 
of the spices of the Indies. 
This predilection for spices has not left the 
Flemish women yet, and their excellent kitchen 
recipes still do credit to the numerous piquant 
qualities of both Banda nutmeg and mace. 
In fact we could hardly suppose a list of Flemish 
or Dutch Wedding Presents to be complete with- 
out a nutmeg box and grater, and for years a spe- 
cial present on the 6 J anniversary of the wedding 
day called " the Pewter-Wedding "in Holland, has 
been a pewter spice-box. Fashion during many 
years too much under foreign influence, has made 
this typical present recede into the background, 
but wherever a young housewife considers herself 
the natural mistress of the kitchen, it is still an 
indispensable item of her wedding-wishes. 
Of late the desire of being the personal attend- 
ant to her husband's comfort as well as his spiri- 
tual companion has drawn the Dutch woman's 
attention especially to the kitchen-department, 
and this good principle has been strengthened 
since, by the decided success of the Dutch Cookery 
Schools. 
Although the days of mediteval opulence are 
irretrievably past, the necessity of good feeding is 
becoming more evident in these days of mental 
and bodily strain. Had children always being fed 
as ours are, many of the complaints of the gener- 
ation which now peoples watei'ing places and sea- 
side resorts, would never have arisen, so we may 
consider it a boon that such institutions as our 
Housekeeping and Cookery Schools accustom the 
female mind to the ancient truism that " a sound 
mind can only live in a sound body." 
Though perhaps Fe.uerbach goes too far in say- 
ing : " Der Mensch ist was er isst," and we should 
consider it rather an insult to man that " the way 
to his heart lies through his stomach ; " yet a 
great truth underlies these exaggerated sayings, 
the truth that energy depends in the first place 
on health, one of its principal factors being good 
palatable food. 
Among the many institutions of the kind in 
Holland the Amsterdam Cookery School {Amster- 
damsche Huishoudschool) under the management 
of Miss S. G. F. Meyboom is one of the best. 
We have much pleasure in quoting the following 
recipes which we owe to the kindness of this lady, 
■whilst the photos which appear in our text were 
taken in the classes under her direction. One 
represents the object lesson iu spices, whilst the 
other shows the practical application of the re- 
cipes we give below, 
CULINARY USE OF BANDA NUTMEG AND MACB. 
Brawn. — 1 calf's head ; 4J lb. veal ; 1^ oz. salt 
and pepper ; some gherkins ; 1 grated nutmeg ; 20 
cloves, pounded ; \ pint vinegar ; 1 leaf of gelatine 
to each \ pint of liquid. 
Boil head 5 hrs ; meat 3 hrs. Eemove bones and 
chop all. Mix with spices and some broth. Put 
mixture into mould, place paper with a slit cut in 
it, on the top; add vinegar and leave 8 — 10 days. 
Meat-Chopped. — 1 lb. chopped meat ; 2 oz, 
soaked bread ; ,J oz. salt ; some pepper ; \ nut- 
meg , 1\ oz. butter ; 1 egg. 
Soak bread in egg ; work it into meat and spices; 
flour it and bake in oven with butter 30 mins. 
Creme in clear Soup. — -J pint bovril ; 2 eggs ; 
nutmeg, pepper, salt ; chopped parjle}\ Beat up 
eggs 10 mins ; add the rest whilst stirring ; leave 
20 — 30 mins. iu oven or bain marie till quite stiff. 
Cut it up into small squares and serve in clear soup. 
Potato-puree in Scallopi Shells.~l lb. mashed 
potatoes ; -J pint milk ; 2 or 3 yolks of eggs ; 1 
oz. butter; 5 oz. ham ; some nutmeg. 
Mix washed potatoes with spice, yolks, melted 
butter and chopped hum. Fill shells, flour them ; 
small balls of butter on it ; bake in oven, brown. 
Mashed Potatoes. — 1 lb. boiled potatoes ; 1 pint 
milk ; 1 oz. (not quite) flour ; 2 oz. butter ; some 
nutmeg. 
Mix milk, butter and flour ; slice potatoes into 
it ; leave some time in oven and grate nutmeg 
over it. 
Asparagus. — Clean them and cut off hard points ; 
tie 6— 8 together and boil in water or steam. Add 
melted butter, hard boiled eggs, and grated nutmeg. 
Nutmeg may be grated over various vegetables : 
boiled lettuce ; endives, French beans, cauliflower, 
savoy, white cabbage, turnips, purslain, etc. 
Galantine. — ^ lb. veal ; i lb. pork ; I5 oz. smoked 
ox-tongue ; 1 oz. fresh bacon ; 5 grated nutmeg ; 
1 egg ; i oz. salt and pepper ; 1a oz. soaked 
bread ; 1 glass Madeira ; 4 truffles ; 3^ oz, tripe. 
Cut up meat raw ; mince with tongue and 
bacon ; mis it with the rest, and make it into a 
ball ; roll tight in tripe ; tie cloth round it and boil 
1^ hr. Press 24 hrs. between two dishes under 
weight ; serve with aspic and lemon, sliced, 
Indian Cake. — 3 oz. flour; 6 oz. butter; 6 oz. 
sugar ; 5 eggs ; 1 grated nutmeg ; i stick vanille ; 
2 teaspoonf uls cinnamon ; 25 cloves, pouuded. 
Whip butter into ci^eam ; add yolks of eggs, 
sugar, flour, spices and white of eggs beaten up 
stiff. Make thin layer in mould, previously rubbed 
with butter; allow layer to go brown ; rub with 
butter ; place second layer on it ; etc. 
Spice-Cake. — 4^ oz. butter, 4^ oz. flour; 450/. 
moist sugar ; 41 oz. currants : 4^ oz. raisins ; 3 
eggs ; 5 nutmeg ; 1 teaspoonf ul cloves, pounded ; 1 
teaspoonful cinnamon. 
Mix butter and flour ; stir yolk with sugar ; add 
currants, raisins and spices ; beat up white of eggs 
stiff. Then lay stiff white on yolks ; mixed butter 
and flour on top ; stir all gently. 
Nutmeg-Cake. — 9 oz. flour; 5^ oz, sugar; 7 oz. 
butter ; 6 eggs ; 1 nutmeg ; 1 teaspoonful baking 
powder ; ^ pint water. 
Work butter into flour ; stir yolks with sugar ; 
add water and baking-powder. Beat up white of 
eggs stiff ; stir it all gently ; bake cake in mould, 
rubbed with butter, well floured and sugared, 
