The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-01
INsrsUcrIoS In COOKING.
Government 10 Advise II In the Public
Schools.

CCmVVhos
How the Culinary Arr ts Taught I'm New
Yorh-Classes Formed In TWEEN ty-
Two schools and Numbering 4l3o
Pupiis-A Revelation In the Home
Life OF Thousands Expected to Fol-
low.
{ Correspondence Of the Boston Tran.
script.)
Washington, Feb. "a The 0ovsrnmsnt
recently has been giving good deal OF
attention to the question Of establishing
cooking classes in the public schools Of
cities and towns throughout the country,
and recommendations In favor Of the
adoption of suoh Q system will Be- made In
a forthcoming bulletin Of the Department
of Aqriculture. This bulletin will con-
tain. for illustrative purposes, . descrip-
ton of the methods Of culinary instruc-
ton which have been practised for some
time past in New York. At the present
time theSart of cooking Is taught In the
metropolis In twenty-five schools to 49,
classes mum bering Also pupila The num-
Der of pupils In each class ranging from
ei xhteen to forty five IL il obvious that
the knowledge gained 10 spread very wide
l, and carried into . great number OF
homes.
Those who have made this question
their speciality assert that study Of the
chemistry Of cooking and an Intelligent
application Of the information thus
gained cannot fail Ito work . revolution
in she homes Of thousands who now suffer
from ignorance of the simplest laws gov
erning the proper preparation Of foods.
The courses Of instruction in the public
schools are made SO interesting as to fasci-
nate the pupils, and thus the knowledss
Is readily absorbed. For example. the
potato is taken as Q topic. and the pupils
begin by learning something about the
botany and history Of the plant. They
ascertain that 1t contains poison which
Is neutralized by cooking. The starch OF
which 1t is mainly composed they exam
inc under a microscope. admiring Its
beautiful pseudo. crystalline forms. In
similar way other vegetables are taken
up, and 1t lie shown why white vegetables
should be cooked in unsalted water, and
why green vegetables should be cooked
In oiling salted water. incidentally the
usefulness of fresh vegetables to the. body
is explained.
Things of this sort can be taught by an
Intelligent teacher in such way as to
make learning o recreation. The science
of cookery becomes . source OF amuse-
ment, and the pupils are eager to learn
more of 1t. They find out shat rioe Is the
most easily digested Of all starchy foods;
shey learn how eggs may be tested FOR
freshness, and how to keep them; they
uIalry suitable for men az hard work.
inasmuch as they are extremely digtssioie
and Yield large proportion Of muscle
forming substance; they investigate the
com position of cream, and examine It's
fat globules under the microscopic; they
study tests for tannin 10 tea. whleh 10
specially Injurious to children, and the
find out much which they had never
dreamed of before about tho anatomy OF
the chicken, which information is OF use
when it comes to trusting or carving
fowl.
The introduction of the microscope into
the cooking classes in New York has been
found most advantageous. 1t is ::believed
that 1t will accomplish wonders for the
homes of the future. The public schools
of New York city are the only ones in the
country which are supplied with micro
scopes for domestic science GLASSES. These
Instruments are employed for an Immense
variety of useful purposes. by tneir saia'
for example, the growth OF yeasts Is Illus
trated. The yeast plant, Of course, Is a
hum BILE fungus, but it 10 dificult to sos
how modern civilization could do without
it. But for It's assistance. bread would
be an impossibility. In like manner, - Is
shown how germs Of different kinds, CON
tanned In ordinary dust that floats about
ever where, get into the household pro-
ducts stored in tine pantry and, b, the
production of moulds or otherwise
moulds are funtg, of course-spo'i them.
Similar lessons are given in the chemis-
try Of cleaning. The little girl who
stuaies in one Of these schools OF domss-
tic science becomes interested In the bao-
t. ria of the dishcloth, Of the ice-box, land
of the garbage-psil, and, when she be-
comes mistress of a home, these things
will receive her serious attention. With
such mother, little Johnny will net be
seen among the boys who buy hot fried
cake for q renny and cup Of coffee for
another penny. and stand in the snow and
sIusn to eat them. For this mother hiss
learned how to make whole-wheat bread
az school, and she knows that one of her
nice light mullins and q little fiat bottle
of heated and cooled milk which she
tuck ed in johnny 8 pocket IN the morning
will give him more nourishinent than
certloaa Of coeffe and fried cakes Such q
v ife and mother is blessing to her home.
and Consequently to thu State. II she has
servants they are good ones, because she
is a capable mistress.
The courses of instruction described re-
ouire. incidentally, tho writing Of essays
on cooking and food materials by the
pupils Some of these are very amusing.
as might DO expected. Take, for example,
the following. by girl of fourteen:
- bread can be traced almost as far back
as the first man. In different parts Of the
world the natives use the cereal which Is
the ~ ost abundant In their country. 1t
is but small portion Of the world that
enjoys the luxury Of good wheat flour.
We should, therefore. be thankful to our
| forefathers, who first planted the wheat
and enlightened the process OF bread
making. We should show our gratitude
by try ing to enlighen 1t still more. The