The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-09-06
What Shall Farmers Eat ,

The home departments OF the agri-
cultural papers have of late been criti-
cising the farmers on their manner of
living, and giving them much advice in
regard to what they shall eat, the larg-
est portion being diatribe against fat
pork. till the reader, not acquainted
with farmers, would suppose that this
was their principal living. We do not
propose to enter into any hygienic ar
guments as to the relative values of va
rious foods for producing strength and
health, but the writer hereof knowing
something of the habits of farmers and
their families, is moved to say that on
their tables viii be found, on an average,
food as wholesome and as well pre-
pared as on those of any class of people
we have; and there is no occasion for
wasting any sympathy on them, for
statistics show, the longest lived of any
class or occupation considering their
numbers.
The voluntary advisers say that the
farmers diet of pork and potatoes and
beans brings dyspepsia and its evils;
which would be very correct if it were
true; fortunately it is not, and from q
large acquaintance with farmers we can
One writer says: Farmers eat too
much fat meat aud too little green food
to sustain the system in a proper condi-
ton. Give Frenchman or a German a
head of lettuce, couple of hard boiled
eggs, with vinegar, salt and pepper, and
a loaf of bread. with a cup of coffee, and
he will fare more sumptuously than an
American upon roast meat of any kind. ="
Now we know what ails these French
men. Such combination of oil, salt,
pepper and vinegar is enough to kill
them. Ask any hard-working farmer
how much wheat man could rake and
bind on such dinner. Another of
these hygienic writers says. Lettuce
and onions mixed together, with only
salt, vinegar. pepper and little sugar,
can be served at any time, with good eff
feet upon the health of the family" If
raw onions with salt, vinegar and pep
per will not produce dyspepsia, there is
no need to call in fat pork or any other
food found on farmers tables. People
should remember that there is much OF
truth in the adage: What is one man s
meat may be another's poison" The
farmer, strong, active, hard-working
and always in the open air, eats meat
and needs it, even fat meat. His di-
gestive organs are strong also, and he
knows nothing of dyspepsia Long
DAYS and hard work, even in summer,
exhaust the muscular system, and good
substantial food is required to supply
the waste. This light green fodder is
good as an appetizer, but rs the main
article of food will not answer, but eaten
extensively viii weaken rather than
strengthen the hard worker, while the
condiments are to be used as little as
possible
When we see recommendations to
farmers to eat only light vegetable
food, we are reminded of q story we
once read of farmer who kept bis
hired man on short rations, and going
out one day to the hay field saw him
moving languidly and singing this re-
frain:
"Buttermilk and whey; faint oil day."
The farmer concluded he would
change his rations and gave him q sub
stantial breakfast the next day. On
going out TO the field he saw him
swinging his scythe with great energy,
and this time singing to fast time.
"Ham and eggs; take care of yur legs"
And this represents pretty fairly to
the worker the difference in the two
classes of diet.
The horseman who demands the
longest drives and the heaviest work
from his teams feeds them on cured hay
and old oats. The groom never feeds
the racer or trotter on new oats, no
matter how fine they are, till they have
been threshed for weeks and become
well dried and hard.
But the question may be fairly asked
What shall the farmer eat? We will
answer this for ourselves, practically,
not, perhaps, scientifically, or with any
theory as to the probable effect of this
or that on the system.
The farmer does his hardest work iu
the summer months. In the very heat
of dog days he works hardest, and fol-
that very reason needs good substantial
food. He cannot afford to waste any
strength in digesting a large quantity
| to get little nutriment; nor is it CON
ducive to health. Most Woodworking
people need meat; well fattened
nicely cooked fat pork in moderate
quantities will not be hurtful. Muttor
should be used more extensively by the
farmer. With the ice box which many
now have, a carcass can be easily kept
till it can be consumed, or neighbor:
can exchange with each other and
divide into smaller portions. Wei
cured ham-boiled is the best-witt
eggs makes good foundation for day
in haying- A moderate quantity o.
fresh vegetables in variety and also ript
fruits in their season-green, never
cooked or uncooked. Green corn anC
that class of food daily if desired in it
season, but always in moderation.
Although many farmers are oper
to criticism in lack of product in th'
vegetable and fruit garden, both TO
summer and winter use, it is asking too
much to require them to make thess
their sole diet.
The farmer who gives his laborer
good substantial food, not trying t.
confine them TO mush and milk TO
breakfast and green salad for dinner
will get the best days work from them
The farmer who eats roast beef an,
mutton and fat pork, who takes dali,
bath in the summer, and does not owe
work in the hot days, may not expect II
reach above threescore and ten, but tn
| years will be full of labor, and he vii
leave behind him a farm well titled
| T)efrOif Post mud Tl~ifgf11e