Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-29
Making Bread.

While this is not exactly a branch OF
farming, and cannot properly be classed
amongst the agricultural pursuits, it is
very difficult to conduct any branch of
agricultural work without the aid OF b. cad
making. In fact, this is one of the most
important, if not the most important,
work on the farm. We read that bread is
the staff Of life. At any rate no household
is complete without bread, and no house
hold Can exist long without bread, and
no farm can be conducted successfully
without the household. consequently the
Importance of this branch of work on the
farm.
There are more poor breadmakers than
there are poor corn raisers, because it does
not take any particular skill or judgment
to raise a crop of corn. An idiot who can
be trained to drive team and be con-
stantly employed in the cultivation of the
crop will get just as good a yield as the
professor or learned politician who carries
so much brains. 1t is not so with the
bread maker; there is constantly coming
up some difficulty that requires not only
judgment, but the skill competent to de-
tect the cause. AS a simple illustration of
this we will give some recent experience
we had in breadmaking. When the
weather got cool enough to require :. fire
;7e set to one side our gasoline stove, and
got out our COokstOve, a good, old, reliable
baker. The stove was thoroughly cleaned
out before setting up. All our difficult
ties In getting first-class bread had been
ascrlbed to the imperfectiOns OF gasoline
baker. The flour hao never been suspic-
toned as being in fault, as it was one of
Omaha popular brands, warrant d. etc.
To our surprise, our stove failed to bake
The bread was made UP as usual.
My plan is as follows:
In the evening | boil three potatoes in
two quarts of water until quite soft, let
stand until luke warm. | then mash the
potatoes and ada -four en- ough to make a
thick batter; to this add one and half
cakes of yeast foam, which has previously
been soaked IN lukewarm water. The en-
tire mixture is left standing over night
in warm room. In the morning | pour
this into the bread pan with enough -four
to make stiff dough. This | knead we'll
and let stand until it rises, then knead it
down and let it rise again. | then mould
into loaves and let stand until quite light.
These put into the oven with moderate
heat; have always succeeded in getting
satisfactory results, If my materials We're
good and could get the proper heat.
was at loss to know what was the cause
of failure. The bread came cut doughy;
it would not brown. My experience has
taught me that there is a difference in the
kinds OF wheat that our -four is made of.
and this difference is carried down to the
baked bread. There is also damaged
grain, and this. likewise, crops out In the
bread yield. There is difference in the
machinery and process of making -four,
and this the breadmaker has to contend
with, after innumerabIe difficulties that
are subject to drop in before the flour
comes into the hands of the baker. Then
comes the home dificulties-bad fuel, old
WORKOUT or poor baking stoves, and last,
but not least lazy housewives, careless
housewives, dirty, slatternly housewives.
who try to get at results the shortest way.
Is it any wonder that there is so much
poor bread. There is no harder work per-
formed by any class of labor than the
baking of bread by the housewife under
ordinary circumstances FARMER s WIFE
A Question of Arithmetic.
How many revolutions is that hy-
wheel making?" said a curious citizen to
the engineer Of the electrical supply
station.
Eighty a minute, sir said the engi-
neer.
Eighty minute, Ell? What's the
diameter"
Five foot two"
"Lemme see," said the citizen: To get
the circumference you multiply the diam
eter by three. Three times five feet two
are fifteen feet six, AID eighty times if
teen feet six gives total of 1,24O feet.
That wheel would be moving pretty fast If
ii were touching the ground, wouldn' it :
But
Got lead pencil? Thanks
4 moment of scribbling.
"Ycs-she'd have to be turning al
34I.''
Young Choteau from ST. Louis So
yen think these shirts will wear we'll, dc
you?
Enthusiastic Cierk-Yes, sir, they viii
wear for months and months
Choteau-Then | will take Just one Of
them.
! 1t is easy finding reasons why other folk;
hould be patient.-George Eliot.
J. ]. BARNET of San Francisco shot anc
killed his wife and then instantly wounded
himself. He says that his wife otter
asked him to kill her