Agriculture is the most healthful , the most useful , and the most noble employment of man. —Washington. 
VOL. IV. _NEW YOR K, JUNE, ft 845. NO. VI. 
A. B Allen, Editor. Saxton & Miles, Publishers, 205 Broadway. 
FOOD FOR THE HARD-WORKING SEASON. 
Every good farmer knows, if he wishes to have an 
animal well prepared for enduring work, that it must 
not only be well fed, but the food must be of the pro¬ 
per kind; otherwise it will get too fat or too poor, 
soft: and watery, or carry too much bulk in its sto¬ 
mach. Just so it is with man; and to be able to ac¬ 
complish his task with ease and energy during the 
most busy part of the season, he should pay particu¬ 
lar attention to his food. His object should be to 
acquire the greatest degree of muscle with as little fat 
and bulk as possible. In fact, to use a trainer’s phrase, 
he must get into condition, which will add greatly to 
his strength, and ease and quickness of motion. To 
acquire muscle, then, we must eat such food as makes 
it in the greatest perfection. 
The lean of venison, beef, mutton, pork hams, and 
shoulders, is the best meat for this purpose; next 
comes veal, poultry, and the drier kinds of fish ; side 
pork is too fat and gross, and should be avoided as 
much as possible, especially during the summer sea¬ 
son. It is decidedly better to eat meat fresh : salted, 
it makes one so thirsty that he is apt to overload his 
stomach with water, and thus become heavy and 
sluggish. Oatmeal is undoubtedly the best for bread ; 
but as the American farmer is not accustomed to it, 
he prefers wheat, then rye, with both of which a 
slight quantity of Indian meal should be mixed. 
have heard barley bread much vaunted; yet as we have 
little experience in it, and that not of the most favora¬ 
ble kind, we do not recommend it; and if we did, we 
doubt whether our farmers would consider it fit for 
their tables. Oatmeal cakes we have often eaten, 
and relish them highly. Corn-bread has a large per 
centage of oil in it, and for this reason it is rather too 
freely used at the west and south. Rice is much 
used at the south for bread, and should be placed be¬ 
fore corn. Of vegetables, beans and peas stand far 
higher than any other within our experience ; mealy 
potatoes come next on the muscular list; but as to 
most of the other kind.s of vegetables, they are too 
watery, and should be eaten sparingly during the 
hard-working season. Cheese is good, especially 
that made from skim-milk, as it abounds more in 
caseine than the other kinds. Butter should be 
avoided as too fat. Milk is not solid enough for 
hard work. 
The best drink we ever found to quench thirst, was 
water slightly sweetened with sugar, and then made 
a little tart with pure cider-vinegar. It is also one of 
the most wholesome of drinks. Weak tea or coffee, 
with milk and sugar in it, is usually healthful drunk 
with breakfast and supper. 
Half an hour to an hour’s rest should always be 
taken after dinner; this gives the stomach an oppor¬ 
tunity of digesting the food well, which is important 
to a hard-working man. 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER 
OF PATENTS. 
Again is the very able Annual Report of Hon. 
Henry L. Ellsworth laid upon our table. Among all 
the Reports of the Government Departments, none 
will be found of such general interest, and none 
affording such comprehensive and useful intelligence, 
as that which emanates from the patent office, unde’r 
its present efficient head. A minute or general de¬ 
scription of patents registered, would afford dry, par¬ 
tial, and meagre information ; and wisely leaving the 
merits of these useful inventions to be trumpeted by 
the inventors themselves, the Commissioner devotes 
almost the entire mass of his Report, of 518 pages, 
to the dissemination of various agricultural informa¬ 
tion. The locality and extent of production of each 
article; the best species for this purpose; the most 
approved method of cultivation; the new purposes to 
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