The Placer herald., 1874-12-05
h9usE AVID Farm.

A"stct duns mat tDcy continued 10 eat thefn
long after the rest Of Greece had begun to
make use of bread-corn, and that they az
torded quite as good nourishment Proba-
bly, this accounts for the happy conditions Of
its people. OtEeT authorities also say that
IN the earliest ages man lived on acorns. and
90 late as The sixteenth century they were
used for bread in France in Il time Of scarcity
live accept literally this account of the
prevalence Of this kind of food, it is a little
singular how entirely its use has disappeared
No civilized nor half-civilized nation now
pretends to enumerate the acorn among its
A direct food supplies. Soyer payfully OBJ
serves that "the ancient food was given up
to the animal which it faitens. ard if this
last were eaten, il was no doubt in gratitude
for the fruit mankind had formerly SO much
loved" For ourselves, we admire the taste
or the wisdom of the chauge but then it
shows our versatility, and leaves room for
hope that we may yet oufgrow the hog as
completely as we have outgrown the acorn.
Perhaps. indeed, we may yet come back to
its use, iute'igen,ly and profitably. Acorns
certainly do contain much nutrition, and
some varieties, like the wbi'e-oak and burr
oak, are very pllatable, though they are not
often used at table, where alone they could
be satisfactorily tested.
CHEs1NUTs,
however, are both wholesome and pleasant,
and they are also at the present time quite
extensively used for food, especially in Italy
and Spain. They are abundant there, and
they grow larger than any of our varieties
They are not quite so sweet; but they con-
tain 80 much more in quantity that it is much
easier to use them for puddings, soups, etc.
1t is not known how many centuries they
have been in use. The ancient Romans had
them in SO great abundance that they con-
signed them 10 plebian use, reserving for the
nobility only those of a more delicate and
tender sort. They prepared them for the
table by peeing them, scaldng off the tender
skins, and then roasting the nuts slowly in
closel ly-covered dish. They also had way
Of preserving them by boiling twenty min.
utes, then drying them in an oven and put
ting them away in a dry place. When
wanted for use, they were soaked out in
warm water.
There are many ways of preparing chest
nuts for food which would make them much
more dgestible than they IRE in their raw
state. We have no doubt that they might
be cultivated to advantage, and Perhaps the.
varieties improved SO that they would pro-
duce larger and better fruit. We commend
the subject tor immediate action to the at
tention of those who like to experiment.
1t should be noted that those nuts that are
not too oily to cook well, make the best food.
Among these are chestnuts and acorns, and
perhaps next in order we might place pea
nuts-Science of Health.
DRIED FRuIT.-The price in San Francis
CO market for common and Alden dried fruits,
tells story in favor of some action by our
citizens in the direction of an Alden Dryer
here or many Family Dryers producing the
same quality of fruit. A late price-list
stands as follows: Apples, common, to Sc,
Alden, 16 to 18c; Pears, common, 8 to 12lc,
Alden 229 to 15c; Plums, ptted, common,
15 to 1Sc, Alden, 30 to 35c; Peaches, COM
mon, s to &c, Alden, 15c; Apriots, com
mon. IL to 12c, Alden, 32c. Alden dried
vegetables and meat are listed as follows:
Rhubarb, 40c; Sweet Corn, 81 J to 40c;
Green Peas, As to 474c; Potatoes, 14c
Onions, 40c; Squash and Pumpkin, 20c;
Beef, 40c per pound.
DysPFpTIc HuNaER.-If man is hungry
within an hour, more or less, after a regular
meal, be is dyspeptic beyond question. and
it shows that the stomach is not able to
work up what he has eaten, so as to get
nourshment out of it; but, to eat again, and
thus impose more work, when it could do
nothing for what had already been eaten, is
an absurdity; and yet all dyspeplcs who
eat when they are hungry do this very thing,
aud thus aggravate and protract their sut
ferngs.
Al the strawberry interest is large one
in California. the following from the Horti-
cultuvist will be read with interest: For
several years past have adopted the prac-
tice OF moving my strawberry beds at the
period that the plant ceases to put forth new
leaves, and the old ones look dry and rusty.
This treatment prevents the production of
runners to any great extent, the bed being
renewed by oflshoots from the crowns of the
old roots. Usually by Fall the plantation
will exhibit one mass Of fresh grown leaves.
This treatment fails only when dry and
hot spell succeeds The moving. | have never
suffered but once in this way, when The beds
were badly burned and thnned out. did
not lose them, however, as they afterward
revived, and, though five or six years old,
look this season like new beis. | am SO
we'll satisfied with this system that shall al
ways continue it, taking the risk of having
the operation defea ed by d ought which,
after all, only happens occasionally
With plenty of rain it succeeds perfectly.
DIGESTIVE BIscuTs.-Mix the -four or
wheat meal in as small quantity Of water
as will cause it, after much kneading or roll
lug, to adhere; then roll, cut into biscuits