Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1845-11-08
AGRICULTURAL.
GOOD COOKING IS. POOR.

The advantages of good cooking are so ma
ns and various that il is not easy 10 string
them all together; nor is i. perhaps the fact
that one in hundred Of all who practice eth
er good or poor ever reflect on the reasons Of
il. II is done either from habit or from tina,
sense Of propriety which is higher 10 an in
stinct than TO anything else-and in which
the female par, of our species so much excel.
Still it is obvious that the matter is az we'll
worthy Of reflection and study as any other
which concerns daily avocaions or domestic
life.
To divide the subject off in sermon-like fash.
-ion-,he principal reasons may be ranked ua'
der three heads, viz Personal comfort,
Health. and It's bearing on moral and intellec.
tnal culture. House.keepers may be likewise
divided into three ranks in relation TO their
modes Of doing business. One class do every
thing uniformly welI-neatness. taste, and
economy are always consulted. Another class
vary from one extreme to another-to-day the
work Of the house is wei! done; Tomorrow i'll
done; good loaf Of bread is made this time
the next villanously sour. heavy, nnpalata.
bic and indigessbIe one; to-day good din
ner next Time hard fare. The third class do
things uniformly i'll. The house is dirty and
uncomfor,able-the furniture Ill arranged and
poorly, if a, all, taken care Of; and the cooking
is always ont OF joint.
Now if lille observation be exercised, it
will be seen that the dispositions Of such
housekeepers will be in accordance, TO great
extent, with their modes Of doing business
The one who does nothing we'll will not be
we'll in mind if in morals. Where the sun
never shines the air is dark and gloomy. and
commonly unhealthy.
But 10 our cooking. Can any cns estimate
the probable difference produced on the health
of families BY their different modes Of prepar.
ing food Is it not reasonable TO suppose
that whom ,his is lily done, the health Of
family should suffer! 1t is impossible that
heavy. halfcooked bread, meat fried TO the
dryness and toughness Of Manila rope, and
potatoes boiled and then soaked in the water
they were cooked in, can be taken into the
stomach habiually without injury.
In connection with this matter, does any
one know how much the tendency Of our eli.
mate towards bilious and intermittent fevers
is favored by the habits of part Of our wes-
tern population, Of eating warm cad and
drinking strong coffee, and eating large poi
lion Of animal food, without fruit or vegetables!
This course is exactly calculated to produce
The secretion of carbonate matter in the system
land Of course to over-s.imula,e the liver,
which is the seat of bilious diseases, and has
ten result which the climate is disposed to
produce. 1t is reasonable TO suppose that
neainess in the preparation Of food must have
no inconsiderable effect upon health. We are
not about to quarrel with tina, fiat Of fate which
pfescrbes to each person 'rhe peck Of dirt
we subscribe to that.-bu. we demur when the
peck swalls into the busheI. and turn abso-
lu,ely FESTIVE when the busheI grows of into
bushels.
OF how much family dscord has bad cook
ing been productive Tho young husband
may for a time be content tha. his bride is
beautiful and graceful; but a succession Of
bad dinners, heavy bread. Stop coffee, &c. &c..
will in time dispose him TO wish that grace
OF two nigh, be exchanged for skill in house
keeking and to feel tina. tin, or blush less
nigh, easily be endured, could he have neat,
well-arranged table, and good slice Of bread
and butter.
Comfortable quiet dispositions, and pleas
ant tempers, are productive of health and loEg
life /; and are important aids to intellectual and
moral culture. 1t is no small matter then that
all sources Of irritation and unsasiness are
avoided and any one who secures this does
an important service. This is peculiarly the
Office of the female sex; and it is no mean
one. Let it not be deemed then that the aim
to learn 10 cook well is low or email aim !;
nor the ambition which seeks it, triding am.
biion. 1t is, to confer health and peace. men.
tai and moral vigor on friends and kindred -
The woman who does this does a great work !;
and though the d'fferen. steps by which it is
secured are by themselves unimportant. they
are great in their results. Our advice is
learn 10 cook WE'LL Prairie Farmer.
A MYsTERy ExPLAiNkD.-A close observer