The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-03-06
The Right and the Wrong Use Of Butter.


An Illinois person has discovered that
bread should be buttered on the under
instead of the upper side. He is a rea-
soning Illinois person, and he has ar
rived at his grand discovery by n
process of reasoning. 1t IS a well
ascertained physiological fact that tho
ability to taste resides chiefly in the
tongue, and exists to a very small ex-
tent in the roof OF the mouth. Butter
is added to bread because butter is
pleasing tn the taste. When, however,
we spread butter on the top of the
bread, thereby bringing it into contact
with the roof of the mouth. we virtually
waste it, for we do not taste It until Il
accidentally comes in conta t with the
tongue. Now. if bread were buttercd
on the under side the butter would be
brought into immediate contact with
the tongue, and we should thus get the
whole benefit of it. Ibis train of rca-
soning is delightfully."- clear and entirely
convincing.
WHAT'S true of bread and butter is
true Of many other articles of food. We
waste sauce when we place it on the
top of pudding instead OF the under
side, and we waste salt, pepper and
other condiments when we place them
when we sprinkle grated nutmeg on
the surface of a. glass Of milk we are
fOolishly catering for. the roof of the
mouth instead of -the tongue, and we
commit a like error when we put cream
on instead of under strawberries
The Illinois person is quite right in
his facts and in the conclusion which he
draws from them. The difficulty is
that it is impracticable in some cases to
adhere to the rule which he lays down.
We can butter the under side Of a slice
of bread, or put saaCe on the bottom of
a pudding; but how can we sprinkle
nutmeg on the bottom Of n glass Of
milk? Fortunately, although we car
not literally follow fhe Illinois persons
adyic !, we can reach the end at which
he aims in another way
IT makes no difference on which side
slice of bread is butterBd, provided
when eating it We place the buttcred
side downward and in contact with the
tongue. This is a perfectly simple
thing to do, and il docs not radically
differ from the Illinois plan. In regard
to sauces which lack sufficient CO.
herenoy to keep their place on n slice
of pudding held upside down, the diff
Guilty can be surmounted by the eater
provided he stands on his head In
this position be could convey a slice Of
pudding to his mouth and bring the
side covered with sauce neatly and in
fallibly in contact with his tongue. IL
is needless to say that to eat in this Po-
sition would require practice. In fact,
there are several grave objections
against eating while standing on the
head, but we are not shut up to the al
tentative of either assuming that pO-
sition or of going without pudding.
We can eat reclining on couches, like
the ancient Romans. In al prObabili-
ty those able eaters adopted the practice
OF living down 10 dinner in order that
the : might tickle their tongues instead
Of the roofs Of their mouths BY simply
living on their backs and hanging their
heads over the edge of their couches,
the Romans could eat plum pudding in
a way that would entirely satisfy the
Illinois refoTmer. .a rrt
As to the proper way of drinking
liquids with nutmeg sprinkled on the
surface the Illinois discovereF must con-
cern himself. The problem Is too diff
ficult for any one but an able scientific
person. Standing on the head while
drinking would not solve It, for the
reason that milk or water can not be
made to run mp hill. The only plan
that suggests itself is that OF sprink-
ling the nutmeg on the tongue and then
pouring the milk on it. This, however.
is a crude suggestion, and we should
wait before adopting il to learn what
the Illinois person has TO say'-N. J..
Tins