Year: 1878

More than one person has written u


know what is meant by the term coars,


food. 1t is not word Of disparage


ment, but quite the reverse. 1t mean


unbolted flour, grits, oatmeal, buck


wheat, corn, and rye meal. A very


large part Of peoples food consists Of


flour in some shape, and this should


contain the best Of the grain. Fin,


flour Is only the starch of the wheat


which creates fat in some degree, but


does not give strength. Every kernel


consists Of three parts-the hull, which


does not nourish at all, the starch In the


centre, which is partly nutritious, and


the gluten, between the two, which


furnishes brain and muscle power. For


weak prejudice In favor Of white


bread, half christendom throws away


the best OF its wheat. White bread Is


really SO poor In nOurishment that
children fed largely on 1t are sure to be


weak and pale, and If fed wholly with
1t, they would starve to death. But
brown -four is rich in what makes flesh
and strength-richer, indeed, than any
other kind of food. BY q new process
coming generally into use the hull OF
wheat is removed before grinding,
which leaves the valuable part for use
In various forms. The crushed white
wheat sold by grocers is one of the best
articles, as all of the disagreeablc parts
Of the grain are left out, and when
boiled long time speaking only as
gourmands, and without spark of hy-
gienic enthusiasm), this breakfast dish
may be called delicious. The best, in
point Of taste, is baked next the fire, or
in brick or cast-iron ovens, by which
greater degree Of heat attacks the
dough, and transforms it into richer
sweetness than the common way Of
baking. As country people say, 1T takes
the sweetness of the fire. At West
Point, some years ago-perhaps it is SO
now-part of the bread was baked in
pans, the rest directly on the brick
floor of the oven; and the brick loaves
were so much the better on this account
that the cadets used to draw lots for
them when rations were served. Many
an officer will remember this difference.
The sweetness of the corn cake of our
forefathers, and ofthe far-famed scones
of Scotland, was due to baking them on
hot stones or boards just before the fire
where its heat was strongest. Coarse
flour fsod, whether well boiled or
baked, is certain of pleasing the palate.
In those doleful marches of our army In
the, southwest, when for weeks our
soldiers toiled through the swamps Of
the Red River, dragging cannon
through mud and water, up to their
knees, their food was almost wholly Of
boiled -four and water, often without
salt. On this the men fed with loath-
ing, till dysentery seized them, and
they sickened and died. If the preju-
dices of the common soldiers allowed |
the serving Of rations Of coarse -four
instead of fine, this horror would never
be repeated for wheat meal is palatable
cooked in the rudest fashion, and would |
keep up the strength under the severest
labors, besides almost preventing the
appearance of that scourge, dysentery.
1t is intolerable to think that the dislike
Of the ignorant to coarse -four is so
1cep seated as to block government in
carrying out a change that would so
much benefit the health of the army.
But rations of brown -four would be rs
bad to Mike and Jonathan as creased
cartridges to the sepoys Of the Indian
nutiny