The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-03-31

and among these causes l do think mill
stands pre-emineRt 1t is milk, milk
morning, noon, and night, with many
families, especially in the summer, wher
plenty. Milk, hot dodger, light biscuit
and fried bacon in the morning. Milk,
with boiled smoked pork and greens or
beans, cabbage and corn, at noon. Cof-
fee, hot biscuit, and butter, chicken, and
milk for supper. do not wish to ridi-
cule any ones food, but l must say this
kind of living never did agree we'll with
me, and l do believe that it is not the
food best adapted to stomachs in general.
But the question naturally arises, What
shall we eat? or what would be the best
food for settlers IN newcountry like the
West? AS far as possible, use that kind
of food you have been accustomed to,
that agreed well with your organization.
And gradually make all changes in your
diet, SO the system will receive no sudden
revolution; for revolutions are generally
destructive and tend to discord, for the
time being, at least, politieallyand social
ly, as well as physically, though they are
sometimes necessary and ultimately tend
to harmony.
A very safe diet, if you are aeeustom-
ed to mixed one, which most of us are,
is wild game, good bread, dried apples
and peaches; all of which can generally
be got anywhere withina reasonable dis
tanee of the Mississippi river or its nav
igable tributaries. And most of the sea-
son you will find great variety of veg
etables that are well adapted to give you
health and strength, without the flesh of
domestic animals, or milk, which are both
more or less diseased, and the latter not
adapted to the stomachs of any but the
unweaned
As to health among the native popula-
ton West, think it will compare favor
ably with the older States, especially in
the open prairie country, and where a
large proportion of vegetable food and
fruits are used. I do insist that it is of
the first importance that the young es-
pecially should have an abundance of the
pleasant acid fruits, berries, &C.; and
there can be no good reason why one
should not have them by the second year,
in the mean time raising an abundance
of tomatoes and melons; and do not fear
to make free use of them, especially if
the appetite should crave them, in sick
ness or health. l would hardly dare say
so much in regard to fruits and their use
by children, had l not reared children
there; and with my experience, GER
tainly feel that have not said too much.
And l do think one is much more likely
to be sick when the food consists princi-
pally of the flesh of domestic animals,
particularly hogs, milk, and eggs.
After all, it is not the food alone that
causes all the sickness. Too much labor
and care is another cause of sickness,
especially to those who have had every
thing about them convenient and agreea-
BILE; and woman, particularly, suffers, for
by her constitution and training she can
not as well adapt herself to the incon-
veniences of new country; hence the
sickness is more common and more fatal
among them than it is among men.
But much of this sickness, care, and
toll might be avoided if men would not
attempt to do so much. Everything is
on a large scale at the West, especially
prairies and rivers; and the farmer who
has been confined to little fields of from
two to five acres of rough, sterile, stony
land, has his ideas wonderfully expand
ed when he gets on to the creamy soil of
the prairies, and Immediately goes on the
other extreme, and attempts to inclose en-
tirely too much, especially when he has
so many other things to do-house to
build, well to dig, DC, dc. He attempts
to do entirely too much, with his force
and means; the consequence is toll, care,
sickness, and short crops.
Keep within your means; far better
do too little than 100 much; but whateE-
er you undertake, do it right. And by
all means do not fail to purchase a piece
of land and pay for it all down, though
it may not be more than an acre for each
member of your family. And to me-
chanics l would say, do not think that
you will better your condition by going
West and depending entirely upon your
trades for supp It, without getting you
home of your own; as you will do no
better there than in the eastern States, as
general thing; and all over the country,
both East and West, You will find men
who have tried it and found it so. But
By all means get you few acres ofland !;
not merely a town lot or two, but spot
large enough to produce what You would
consume; so, if business is dull, or prices
too low at your trades, YOU can cultivate
the soil, and thereby retain that independ-
ence which is so agreeable and so essen
tial to the true dignity and happiness of
man. And if you have not means to
get such place near alarge town or city,
go where you can get it. Do not think
you must huddletogether in order to live.
This crowding up in towns and cities is
no doubt fruitful cause of crime, pow
erty, and sickness, and surely there is no
need of it at the West, for you can get a
good living almost anywhere by work
enough to keep in good health.