The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-24

to my suggestion.
| AIN inclined to think that With
in ten years, as many persons have
died prematulely IN this State from
bad cookery as were slain in the
war. Dyspepsia is robbed of much
of credit of It's operations. \ GER
tain individual, more remarkable
for the length of his horns and tail
than for his friendship for human
itv, Is said always TO catch the
hindmost. Ills agents acts on this
principle. Diseases are cowardlv
things and attacking robust or Vi
gorous constitutions, but when
they find a poor devil enfeebled BIZ
dyspepsia, acting OF the principle
that when a man is down, then is
the time to gouge him, they pounce
upon the disabled creature and
soon finish him. 1t thus happens
that cholera, consumption or their
co-laborers, carry off the credit
that is due to indigestion. Just as
Fallstaff appropriated the glory Of
killing Henry Percy.
The question may be asked why
should the people of the United
States, and especially IN the South,
in this respect, differ from the
other civilized nations of the earth,
and even those of former ages ?
The scripture tells us that Jesus
Christ broke bread, but much of
what is called bread III our day is
little less difficult to break than the
molasses candy made and pulled
by young people. A reason occurs
to me why this practice prevails
with us, which | have never heard
suggested. One who reads the
books of Sir Samuel Baker and
other African explorers, will Learn
that the negroes are as fond of fat
and grease as are the ESquimeauN
Indians. They also eat and are
capable Of digesting raw vegeta
bles, and have capacities in these
respects much superior to those Of
the Caucasian. They have chiefly
been the cooks of our country, and
every cook, unless otherwise IN
structed, will prepare food to suit
his own palate. Early in life | used
to hear negroes say that they did
not consider lean ham as mat, and
they greatly preferred the fat sides
of the bacon. Their system of
cookery seems to have prevailed to
SO great an extent, that the white
race with its different physical con
s~titution is now suffering seriously.
As this practice results from To-
norance entirely, why should it not
be changed 1t is idle to say that
the taste of our people are essen
TALLY different from those of the
kindred nations of Europe. That
children prefer hot bread half
baked is due to early teaching.
No child likes the taste of tobacco,
but by long practice they may be
rendered. fond of it. AS children
are ready to put anything into
their stomachs, Providence kindly
has given them the digestive pow
ers OF the ostrich, but their minds
have had time to expand and &c
qulre knowledge, he leaves them to
take are of themselves in this res
pect. If a mother were convinced
that by giving her children hot,
greasy bread, she at the same time
would render their constitutions
feeble and cause them to die early.
would she persist in such a prac-
tice?
How, then, are these evils to be
corrected F? AS they are due partly
to l~azlness, but chiefly to ignorance,
the minds of the people must be
enlightened. 1t is not sufficient
that an article should occasionally
appear IN a newspaper, or an essay
be read to a small as~ssemblage of
people. No clergyman thinks he
has done his duty, when he has
delivered one sermon in a county.
Earnest and continued efforts are
necessary to enllghten the public
mind. Some time since | told the
members of the Legislature that
if they would send two suitable
men owe the State to combat lazi-
mess and Ignorance III farming and
cookery, they might prefer more
real benefit on the State than all
their legislation for the last ten
years had done. But the men sent
out must be popular speakers; such
persons as are usually selected to
canvass for the Governorship or
for Congress. Let these men an
nounce that they will, on Tuesday
of each Court, show the people