Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-08-24
What Shall Farmers Eat

idst va ottAA Wilt
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 will 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. Tor
they are the healthiest, strongest, and.
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 We're
true; fortunately il is not, and from a
large acquaintance with farmers we can
say that this is not what ais them.
One writer says: Farmers eat too
much fat meat and too little green food
to sustain the system in a proper condi-
ton. Give a Frenchman or a German
head of lettuce, a couple of hard boiled
eggs, with vinegar, salt and pepper, and
a loaf of bread. with 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 Woodworking farmer
how much wheat man could rake and
bind on such a 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 mans
meat may be anothers poison The
farmer, strong. active. Woodworking
and always in the open air, eats meat
and needs il, 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 as the main
article of food viii not answer, but eaten
extensively will 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 story we
once read of farmer who kept his
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 all day
The farmer concluded he would
change his rations and gave him a 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 4
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