12 BULLETIN 123, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
skilled efforts of the farmer must be supplemented by equal intelli- 
gence on the part of the cook who handles his products. 
CULTIVATING VEGETABLES FOR THE TABLE. 
There is an increasing attention given to the cultivation of vege- 
table foods, with the result that the quality is better and the texture 
less fibrous. Less attention evidently is being given in this country 
to production of cakes and pastries, and the per capita consumption 
of flour appears to be diminishing as coarser cereals, fruits, and 
vegetables are used more. 
Farmers are beginning to see more profit in the intensive cultiva- 
tion of choice vegetables than in the larger acreage of less profitable 
crops. Too often a type of plant is chosen for its shipping or keep- 
ing qualities rather than for flavor and texture. The improved 
quality of fruits and vegetables gained by improved methods in 
agriculture is often more than offset by carelessness in packing. 
Good varieties should be grown by the best methods and handled 
and shipped so that they reach the consumer in satisfactory con- 
dition. 
What is needed is greater knowledge on the part of the producer 
of the relative values of different varieties of the same plant, while 
the consumers must be discriminating in the selection of the special 
article for a given purpose or know in what way the available 
material can best be utilized. 
The housekeeper unfamiliar with the country garden hardly 
knows when different vegetables are at their best, and may buy 
them at abnormal prices out of season and rely on canned vegetables 
when “natives” are abundant. Easy transportation, cold storage, 
and cultivation under glass have changed the times and seasons to a 
great extent, and while this is often an advantage, there is seldom 
the same desire for foods obtained at any time as there is for those 
available for a short season only. Producer and consumer should 
confer frequently to secure better food for all and better methods 
for its transportation and use. 
Cold storage has advantages, but often is carried so far that there 
is distinct loss of quality or flavor, or both. With the lack of suit- 
able storerooms in modern houses in large towns, housekeeping would 
be almost impossible without the storage facilities whereby dealers 
can hold food supplies in good condition. 
GROWING VEGETABLES FOR THE HOME TABLE. 
Women should be encouraged to take more interest in the vegetable 
garden. Even the actual work there is less taxing than much that is 
done indoors, which gives less valuable return in health and comfort. 
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