The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-03-18

oOuSnt as 1000, wafer Is tOleI-
ably Expensive luxury. In several
instances it costs something like 81. so
glass, according to the estimates of
H. J. Holmes, in February Pea, sons.
Letus begin with breakfast. Look
at that that loaf of bread. To all
appearance it is solid enough. But
it is not. When it came into the
hands Of the baker as wheat flour it
contained water only to the extent of
II per cent. In working up the
materials into dough, by kneading
and other manipulation and in bak-
ing a great change takes place and
the Quantity of water has more than
doubled. The wheat.hour loaf con-
tains nearly 40 per cent. of water.
| Curiously enough, its value as food
is increased thereby. The percent
age Of water in the crust is about half
that il the soft inside.
"Cdred" pork does not contain a
large portion of water in fact, wher-
ever there is a good deal of fatty
matter there is also a scarcity of mois-
ture. So The. man who enjoys his
slice of breakfast bacon may comfort
himself with the reflection that he is
getting fairly solid value for his
money, because bacon contains only
~ per cent. ofwater.
Fresh eggs, on the other hand, are
composed of no less than IS per cent.
of water.
The best dairy-made butter, no
matter how carefully prepared, con-
tains comparatively large percent
age of water. Out of l., 800 samples
of butter examined by well-known
authorities small number contained
over 10 per cent. of water the larger
number contained between II and IS
per cent. Carelessly manufactured or
adulterated butter often contain much
more water than is permissible by law,
and the breakfast table may include
supply of butter containing as much
as 20 per cent. of water.
1t is only to be expected that milk,
owing to its origin, should vary con-
siderably in its composition. Much
depends on the health and surround
ings of the animal yielding it.
1t is interesting to know that morn
ing milk, as it comes from the cow, is
by no means as nourishing as the
evening supply there is more water
in the former. The daily quart of
milk even in its present state contains
an average of 87.7 per cent. Of water.
The choicest fish contains the larg-
est percentage of water. Thus tur-
bot and sole are credited with 78 per
cent. salmon with rs per cent.
while the commoner inhabitants of
the deep blue sea are content with
from 40 to 60 per cent, as is the case
of the homely herring.
"As cool as cucumber" is house
hold term. The coolness is easily ex-
planned. Cucumbers are almost en-
tirely composed of water-that is,
o5 per cent, or over "a per cent,
more than is contained in milk, which
is itself liquid. Lettuce must not
be forgotten. Here is a further in
stance of how little substance may be
in an apparent solid, for the cabbage
lettuce holds o2 per cent. of water.
1t will be seen that most ofthe good
things of life are largely composed of
water; but it is better for us that
this is so. Nature knows more about
our digestive powers than we know
ourselves, and she has designed her
products-fsh, flesh, fowl and fruit
with SO cunning a hand that the
water contained in each is essential.
Food containing very little water
in its composition is not, as rule,
good to eat until suitable process of
cooking has rendered it safe by adj
ding further supply Of water to it,
and boiling. as is we'll known, is the
process that renders our food most
wholesome and easy of digestion.