The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-06
Bread Making.

In quiet way. the Agricultural De-
partment has been doing some extremely
valuable work. Among other things, 1t
has conducted some experiments lin the
preparation of common foods. particularly
bread. One result of these experiments is
the discovery that graham and whole
wheat fours are not. as was once sup
posed, superior in nutritive qualities to
the ordinary wheat flour. This will be a
relief to the minds of people who do not
like the health food preparations.
If some sort of standsrd of bread-mak-
ing can be set up, and those who make
the bread of the country can be so in
structed in the art that it will be hard tt
find a baker wAo turns out a poor loaf
there will be considerably less indigestion
among the people of this country. 1t is
actually true that in some places the peo-
pie do not know what good bread is. and
prefer the unhygienic product because
they are used to it, There are whole
communities where it is the fashion to
place before the family a loaf half baked.
sour, or heavy; and to those who are used
to such stuff the light. sweet, crusty
bread really seems unsubstantial. There
l.
light, white, and sweet is far superior to
the product which many housekeepers
supply to their families. The article
which goes under the name of biscuits in
this land is too often dotted with baking
soda. greenish in color and not over
light. The spongy lightness of the fresh
Vienna loaf is as far superior to this as
steel is more valuable than pig IRON
There is no way in which any man or
woman can cook properly without ex-
perience. training, and intelligence. The
art is mt, as many people seem TO think,
one which can be picked up by anybody.
1t must be learned; not necessarily in a
school, but by the exercise of thought,
care, and energy.
If bad bread could be abolished, either
by supplying good bakers bread to the
families in which the housekeeper does
not know how to cook. or by training
girls in the art OF bread making; if a
strict supervision could be kept over the
food supply, so that the poor and igno-
rant would not be at the mercy of dis
honest dealers, and buy spoiled or adul-
terated food: and If there were an OPP
portunity for every girl In every COM
munity to study cooking scientifically
and learn to prepare all the common ar
ticles of food so as to get the most nour-
ishment with the least expense, the peo-
pie of this country would be healthier
Weather. and considerably happier. No
riches can come to any people through
waste, and badly prepared food is waste
In more than one direction. The con-
sumner loses money, for he pays for what
he does not get; he loses strength, for
the article furnished him does not give
him the proper amount Of nOurishment:
and In time he may lose his health, for
nobody can feed on the wrong kind of
food for very many years without suf
ferinE for 1t somehow. When food is
properly prepared 1t is absorbed by the
system; when 1t is not, there is apt to
be surplus of some element of nutrition
or other, which is not thrown off by the
system, and eventually causes trouble.
This business of feeding people is one
which is worth studying scientifically. 1t
does not take half the time and money to
do the thing properly that it takes to do
it in slipshod and incompetent fashion.