Although this table is good in its way, it is not a fair measure of the relative value of foods. Even the solid part of some foodstuffs contains a good deal of refuse (fresh potatoes 20 per cent.), while others have none. Beans, rice, nuts, cheese, are highly concentrated foods, but rice is easy to digest, beans rather difficult, nuts more so (unless in the form of nut butter), and cheese should be used sparingly. Then there is the personal fac- tor: "What's one man's meat is another man's poison." Variety is quite as welcome at the camp board as anywhere else — in fact more so, for it is harder to get. Do not leave out the few little condi- ments wherewith you can vary the taste of com- mon articles and serve a new sauce or gravy or pudding now and then. Nothing pays better for its transportation than good brands of desiccated eggs and evaporated or powdered milk. Cooked in combination with other things, they add vastly to the number and savor of your dishes. There is an old school of campers who affect to scorn such, things. "We take nothing with us," they say, "but pork, flour, baking powder, salt, 4 CAMP COOKERY. sugar, and coffee — our guns and rods furnish us variety." This sounds sturdy, but there is a deal of humbug in it. A spell of bad weather may de- feat the best of hunters and fishermen. Even granting that luck is good, the kill is likely to be of one kind at a time. With only the six articles named, nobody can serve the same game in a va- riety of ways. ' >Now, consider a moment. How would you like to sit down to nothing but fried chicken and biscuit, three times a day? Chicken everlastingly fried in pork grease — and, if you tire of that, well, eat fried "sow-belly," and sop your bread in the grease! It is just the same with trout or bass as it is with chicken; the same with pheasant or duck, rabbit or squirrel or bear. The only kind of wild meat that civilized man can relish for three consecutive meals, served in the same fashion, is venison of the deer family. Go pre- pared to lend variety to your menu. Food that palls is bad food — worse in camp than anywhere else, for you can't escape to a restaurant. Variety of rations does not mean adding to the load. It means substituting three 5 lb. parcels for one 15 lb. parcel, and no more. Let us consider the material of field rations, item by item: Bread. — It may be well to carry enough yeast bread for two or three days. It helps out until the game country is reached and camp routine is established. Hardtack (pilot bread, ship bis- cuit) is a last resort, and can be recommended only for such trips or cruises as do not permit baking. It is a cracker prepared without salt or grease, and kiln-dried to a chip, so as to keep well. He who can cat it without grumbling may be said to have filed his teeth. PROVISIONS. 5 Flour. — The plain kind is best. The self-rais- ing is easily ruined by moisture, and will not do for thickening, dredging, etc. Corn Meal. — Some like yellow, some prefer white. In either case it is much the best when freshly ground. A welcome change from hot wheat bread or biscuit, and can be served variously as johnny cake, pancakes, or mush. Useful to roll fish in, before frying. Rolled Oats. — This, and other breakfast cereals, according to taste, and only for variety sake. Nu- tritive value low, in proportion to bulk.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Although this table is good in its way, it is not a fair measure of the relative value of foods. Even the solid part of some foodstuffs contains a good deal of refuse (fresh potatoes 20 per cent.), while others have none. Beans, rice, nuts, cheese, are highly concentrated foods, but rice is easy to digest, beans rather difficult, nuts more so (unless in the form of nut butter), and cheese should be used sparingly. Then there is the personal factor: "What's one man's meat is another man's poison." Variety is quite as welcome at the camp board as anywhere else — in fact more so, for it is harder to get. Do not leave out the few little condiments wherewith you can vary the taste of common articles and serve a new sauce or gravy or pudding now and then. Nothing pays better for its transportation than good brands of desiccated eggs and evaporated or powdered milk. Cooked in combination with other things, they add vastly to the number and savor of your dishes. There is an old school of campers who affect to scorn such, things. "We take nothing with us," they say, "but pork, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and coffee — our guns and rods furnish us variety." This sounds sturdy, but there is a deal of humbug in it. A spell of bad weather may defeat the best of hunters and fishermen. Even granting that luck is good, the kill is likely to be of one kind at a time. With only the six articles named, nobody can serve the same game in a variety of ways. Now, consider a moment. How would you like to sit down to nothing but fried chicken and biscuit, three times a day? Chicken everlastingly fried in pork grease — and, if you tire of that, well, eat fried "sow-belly," and sop your bread in the grease! It is just the same with trout or bass as it is with chicken; the same with pheasant or duck, rabbit or squirrel or bear. The only kind of wild meat that civilized man can relish for three consecutive meals, served in the same fashion, is venison of the deer family. Go prepared to lend variety to your menu. Food that palls is bad food — worse in camp than anywhere else, for you can't escape to a restaurant. Variety of rations does not mean adding to the load. It means substituting three 5 lb. parcels for one 15 lb. parcel, and no more. Let us consider the material of field rations, item by item: Bread. — It may be well to carry enough yeast bread for two or three days. It helps out until the game country is reached and camp routine is established. Hardtack (pilot bread, ship biscuit) is a last resort, and can be recommended only for such trips or cruises as do not permit baking. It is a cracker prepared without salt or grease, and kiln-dried to a chip, so as to keep well. He who can cat it without grumbling may be said to have filed his teeth. Flour. — The plain kind is best. The self-raising is easily ruined by moisture, and will not do for thickening, dredging, etc. Corn Meal. — Some like yellow, some prefer white. In either case it is much the best when freshly ground. A welcome change from hot wheat bread or biscuit, and can be served variously as johnny cake, pancakes, or mush. Useful to roll fish in, before frying. Rolled Oats. — This, and other breakfast cereals, according to taste, and only for variety sake. Nutritive value low, in proportion to bulk.

Camp cookery (Kephart)