Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-16

annually and an incalculable amount oil
suffering from disease.
United states has been gradually f.ilins
OF for a number of years.. Mi. swee,
went on to say. I'VE eat two and q hall
bushels per person: The British ca
more than eight and the French seven ano
equality in this country. know. has
been declining. Again, few American
women know how to cook potatoes IN tne
simplest ways. Boiled potatoes usuans
are stale and water-soaked. The food
value OF a potato lies near its surface
Wood and water are found In its interior
The English, Irish and Scotch know nov
to produces potatoes and then 70 prepare
them for the table. They peel them
thinIy and place them in a kettle Of boil
ing water, with salt added. The wafer
Is kept boiling, not violently but moo
erate1y.
when the potatoes are nearly done
all OF the water is poured out except
enough to cover Che bottom OF the
kettle The kettle is then taken on the
fire, but kept near It. and the ia ls
tilted so as to let the steam escape. II
the potatoes are not served as soon ~ +
cooked, they should be covered with
. clean. white cloth so as to reserve
their flavor.
Potatoes with their Jackets on are
the best of all. They should be washed
in cold water and placed in a kettle. but
the water should not entirely cover
them. As the water boils. add more,
but have it cold. Do this until the
potatoes are done, throwing in some
salt from time to time. After the po-
tatoes are cooked through pour on the
water and hold the kettle on the nre
until it is dry. Wrap the potatoes in a
thick, white cloth and keep them in the
oven until they are to be eaten!
1T am not q cook nor scientific die
tartan. but 1 have been investigating
the potato for a good many years. and
i think I know how it should be grown
and used to the best advantage after IT
reaches the consumer. And both OF
these matters are of economical value
Potatoes are an important item in the
food of the American people. We
should have better potatoes and more
Of them and a wider understanding as
to the manner of preparing them for
the table.
THE war is turning the minds of the
people back to the rural regions Thus
to that extent. to go no further. the war
will not be all loss. It has been found
that guns, ammunition and bayonets
constitute only part of the weapons
of warfare. Fighting men must eat.
The farmer today is as large factor
in the contest between civilization and
barbarism as the soldier. He is being
Elorified up to the level Of the rest OF
his fellow citizens. He has become as
big a man as the banker or the manu-
facturer. And on the higher level ere
ated for him by the war he must re-
main, il this nation is to endure.
Rome fell because everybody moved
to town. In this country almost every
body was pulling up and going to town
when war halted the destructive move
ment from the farms to railroads. shops.
stores. offices and factories So much,
then, has already been accomplished.
Another thing has come to pass that
is also of great moment. We are speed
ing up our agriculture industry. Give
US food calls the world. Every acre is
being pushed. Every farmer IL hard
at work, and intelliEently, We have al
ways been slipshod in this country. The
hrst settlers found that they could
grow corn at the Atlantic edge Of the
continent. AS the land gave out from
moved inland. They kept on moving,
seeking always richer SOIL until they
hlled the valleys. populated the noun
tains and were brought to a stand by
the waters OF the Pacific.
NOW. what remains to be done?
Everything. BY that mean the inn
provement of our agricultural proc
esses. The war has compelled US to
face that problem. Give q man nour-
ishing food and sufncient sleep and
physical exercise. and he will defeat
be trsatsd IN the ZANE fashion. In
round numbers. the United States pro-
dncea ninety bushAls at potatoes to
the HCre. SR1funt m 0ynRuHD y3G36 Of