Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-18

10 noid good no further, for the prices hold
snEx Own, and it never happens that thcy
tall when the mercury rises While we are
R9LnS Llom tnlrty-one to thirty seven cents
tOl outter, thirty cents for eggs, from fifteen
70 twenty cents a pound for chickens, potatoes
from two dollars and half to five dollars per
Darrel, and SO on, it creates little DISPOSE
tlon to grumble on the part of tho best ma
tured head Of family" to hear Of the un-
accountable wido gap between the prices of
the Same articles here and in the +" rural dis
tricts" few miles westward-to know that
In western Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir-
ginia, and various of the more westerly States
within reach of Us by railroad, butter is SELL
ing at from fifteen to seventeen cents, eggs
from ten to twelve cents per dozen, dressed
poultry at six and seven cents pound, and
potatoes at thirty-seven and thirty eight cents
a bushel.
The question always comes up vhy there is
so marked disparity between CITY and coup.
try prices, and nobody seems able to afford
any satisfactory solution. Doubtless the main
cause is the fact of go many middlemen, each
WIN separate profit, coming between the
producer and the consumer, and in this vav
there are four or Eve distinct profits realised
upon each article before it reaches those who
ouy 70 use. In New York city, whore the
same evil has been experienced, a Mr.. Stimp-
son, the editor of the Express Messenger, a
paper published by an association of Express
companies, Of which he is president, has or
ganized an enterprise for procuring articles of
iarm produce at places far and near, which
are sold to those who accept his terms, at a
price made up of the cost of purch ase, trans
portatlon, and . fixed commission for his own
services The terms arc, that persons ON
pIoylng his agency shall advance small sum
OF money, to be returned to them in sixty
days in provisions. By this arrangement he
Is able to supply his customers with poultry at
eleven cents per pound instead of eighteen,
and the best table butter at twenty -four cents,
instead OF thirty to thirty-fve cents He is
able to do this through being in constant cor.
respondence with several hundred agents of
the principal express companies, who advise
MIN OF the state Of the markets in their re-
sspective neighborhoods, and, when directed.
ouy Tor him whatever they can buy advan.
tageously.
Ihe ramifcations Of express lines are not
extensive enough, perhaps. in this part of the
country to permit such an enterprise to be
carried out SUCCESSFULLY in Washington, but
we can at least look about US to sec what can
De accomplished in securing the least oxpen-
sive, and at the same time equally nutritious
In this connection VIC supply a few hints
calculated for another meridian, but which
will do equally we'll in this:
Fresh meat Of all kinds, at the prices at
which butchers retail it, is not economical
food. Meats will average over a shilling a
pound Sailed meats are cheaper than fresh.
In economiziDg food, meat should never be
fried or boiled. If you would get the most
substance out of fresh meat, make it into SOUP,
or stew, or pot pic. In making soup, soak
your meat SEINE hours in cold water, and boil
IL IN the same. Thicken with beans, peas,
rice, barley, hominy, or broken bread. The
best meat is the most economical for SCUM. Do
not buy bones
III you boil meat to eat, never put it in
cold water. Let it be boiling when you put
the meat in the pot. Do not buy fresh meat a
pound or two at the time. Buy quarter or
halt sheep. You get it at half price Beef
or pork by the quarter is quarter cheaper.
DO not buy your bread re- dy baked 1t
slxpence pound Dry -four is the same.
Homemade bread is far more nutritious,
Make use of corn meal, oat meal, Graham
Hour, hominy, and cracked wheat for bread,
IN preference to fine wheat -four, both for
health and economy. Here are the relative re-
tail prices per pound of these articles Wheat
Hour &c ; Graham -four, &c /; cracked wheat.
6c'; corn meal, 2lc hominy, 8 oat meal, 4ic.
The latter is the most nutritious breadstuff
known. Look at the Scotch with their ost-
meal porridge-as robust a set of men as ever
lived.
HOminy is an article that no family. de-
slrous of practising economy, can do without.
Ii Is very cheap, healthy, and nutritious food.
II cost only half the price per pound of -four,
and contains no moisture, while the best of
hour holds from twelve to sixteen pounds of
water In barrel. Cracked wheat is excel.
lent for sedentary persons. That and Graham
hour should DO used in preference, at the same
price per pound, to white -four, because more
he nv md go
pounds of Graham -four is worth as much in a
family as one hundred and thirty three pounds
OF superhne white flour. Corn meal costs less
than half the price of -four. 1t is worth twice
as much
"The cheapest food is white beans. Thew
are worth from 81 so to So a busheI, and re-
tail at eight cents quart Prof. Liebig has
stated that perks and beans form a compound
of substances peculiarly adapted to furnish all
that is necessary to support life and give bones
and muscle and fat, in proper proportions, to
man. This food will enable one to prcform
more labor, at less cost, than any other sub
stance. A quart Of beans, cents, half pound
OF pork, 9 cents, will feed large family for a
day, with good strengthening food
Potatoes should be utterly abandoned by-
the poor. They cannot afford to eat them
All other vegetables are still more economical
than potatoes. Carrots are the cheapest of all
Looeo LUZ tnoJ dIe UUt llJtle used a6 human
food, though very nutritious. They are par.
TALLY used in soups. They are good simply
boiled and eaten with little butter or meat
gravy They should always form an ingredi.
ent Of soup: They are sold by the quantity at
so cents q bushel
" Another very excellent, nutritious, eco.
nomical article Of food is dried peas They are
little more costly than beans, but
some think they will so further At any rate,
they are good for change"
RELIEF OF THE Poor IN THE FIRST WARD
AT an adjourned meeting of the citizens of the
First Ward, held on tho 18th inst to hear the
reports of the committees appointed to collect
and distribute relief to the poor of the w ard,
1T was found that the sum of S648. IS had
been collected for that purpose-out of which
$3.50 Is had been expended for fuel, SlS5 SO
for groceries, and 1912 for clothing, &c,
making total of $3.50, leaving s98 IS vet to
be expended in the several districts in propor
ton to the wants Of each. 1t appeared that
nearly $50 families had been relieved. Exer.
tons are yet making in furtherance Of this
praiSeworthy object by continuing the services
Of the distri outing committees, who are au.