The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-04-13
Agricultural Department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
COOKERY AS ESSENTIAL IN THt
EDUCATION OF FARMERS
DAUGHTERS,


ing ofthe State BOARD of Agriculture,
by Mrs. A. ID. Pottle of stowe.
Let us visit the farmers daughters in
their summer homes; you will not find
them in rows of brick blocks in choked-
up cities, where the air is onc-half dust
and the other half smoke, and where
sweet smell ia something to be wonder
ed at. Oh, no. You will find them in
no such place as that. They live in
broad, low homes, shady and cool, or in
nea: cottages and snug, convenient
homes in the widest green fields, near
clear springs, laughing brooks and quiet
rivers; and on the roof fall shadows
from maple trees, with robins and bobo-
links in their branches, and neither tree
nor bird have the faintcst idea of how
a city looks, and don't want to have.
Their houses have painted floors, and
homemade carpets, and quaint, old
fashioned belongings such as il is use
less to look for elsewhere. In at their
windows comes fragrance from the ripe
strawberry, and the sweet new cut hay,
and on the wings of the air they breathe
comes healing, health and happiness.
Can we ever forget those delightful
evenings of dreamy twilight, as we sat
upon the front doorstep after the days
labor, and listened to the tireless crick-
cts song? And can you not hear even
now, that one great-voiced fellow, the
bass singer of cricketdom, whose home
is, and always has been, at least ever
since yon can remember, under that flat
doorstep? His voice is never silent
never worn out; but when YOU come
and when you go, he continues his word
less song, pausing only for his winters
slumber. And then, who ever ate such
cookery? Who ever drank such milk,
or dipped into such cream, or tasted
such butter as is found in their homes.
None ever did it; and nowhere else in
the world are there such pleasant sights
and sounds as there are around q farm
ers dwelling. Every one who has had
one of these homes, knows that there is
no home like the farmers home. And
while we can safely say that there are no
girls like farmers girls, il is to be de-
plored that we sometimes hear them re-
mark "that they know nothing of cook
cry" And when we have heard the
remark that sounded something like
Boosting, that they did not know how to
make even corn cake, we could not
help exclaiming mentally, go, for the
good time coming!" when professor
ships of common sense shall hold Tho
highest rank i'm every home and sociotv
school and college I'm the land. Rut I'm
meantime, while many hearts are grow
ing sick with hope deferred, and com
mon sense as a general thing is but es-
teemed second-rate article, what are
we doing to introduce the much-needed
and longel-for commodity? What has
become of the training in cookery which
Is 40 essential to every Young house
keeper, and without which when she
begins life for herself, she has TO require
costly training through experiment?
1t seems to be the last accomplishment
acquired, although it is most important.
There is no station in life where we can
afford to be without this knowledge TO
those who do not possess wealth, II is n
necessity. and to the wealthy il is one
OF the greatest of cOnvcnienccs; and vet
there are scores of farmers daughters
who go out from the parents home with
out having acquired this knowledge. II |
is not thing that can be learned by a |
study of cookery books, neither by see |
ing how 1t is done by others; but it is |
only acquired through long study and
attention, and therefore ii is necessary
that its practice be commenced early. |
And as there must of necessity be MANY |
mishaps and failures, the modification
would be somewhat modified should |
they occur to a young miss, and in her
fathers home. We do no say that child
rell should leave school to make bread,
but we do say that if children began
earlier to acquire some of its most sim
pie branches, they would be less awk
ward, and not having arrived at con-
ccited age in which it is so often re-
marked ''they know it ALL" il would be
comparatively easy for mother and
child, and it would become so familiar
to them that they would never feel that
dread of learning so often manifested bv
older ones: for like the nettlc il is ONLY
to he dreaded when too softly handled:
grasp it with brave heart and a will
ling hand, and its sting is gone immedi-
atcly. Two elements make the happi-
ness of our homes. One is rho moral or
christian elements the other, that which
more nearly concerns the wants of the
body. The soul needs sustenance as
well as the body; and the most inyigor-
ating food that can be provided for it
are kind deeds, pleasant words and
happy smiles. But we have a temporal
nature which cannot subsist on such
light food, which although so necessary
and satisfying to the soul, affords very
little sustenance to the body. God has
wisely provided the means for such sus-
tenance, by giving an abundance of ma
terial which is beautifully adapted TO
our various wants; but the science OIL
agriculture has not been more abused
and neglected than this art of cookery:
and very far is il from being less i'm.
portant. And while brains and COM
mon sense are the most hopeful and i'm
pOriant features of farming, and i'm fact.
the spice wherewith it is relished and
digested, would il not be well TO flavor
cookery with the same articles? And
while agriculture is marching STRAIGHT |
to the trout rank of sciences as fast as
men can mix brains with farming. is
not cookery after all the propeller: for