History and present status of instruction in cooking in the public schools of New York city

The potato. — This vegetable is a native of South America, where it still grows wild. It was introduced into European countries by explorers. The potato belongs to the same family of plants as tobacco. It contains a poison, peculiar to this class, which may be extracted from the potato by cooking. The potato contains many compounds. The most important of these is starch. It also contains water, fat, cellulose, albumen and mineral matter. Starch is com- posed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It is not flesh-forming but heat giving. A potato should be well chewed, so that the saliva can act upon the starch and change it to sugar. To cultivate the potato a good soil and a temperate climate are necessary. Some think that the potato is a healthful vegetable. This is only so when eaten with food rich in nitrogen, for it lacks albumen. Served with eggs, meat, or fish, the potato helps to form a perfect diet. The people of Ireland use the potato as one of the chief articles of diet. But they di -ink Large quantities of buttermilk, or skimmed milk, which contains a great deal of llesh forming material. The potato can be cooked in many ways. It can be baked, boiled, steamed, Stewed, or fried. Of these the most digestible way of cooking is baking. A baked potato must be broken at one end, when taken from the oven, to allow the steam to U. S. Dept. of Agri., Bui. 56, Office of Expt. Stations. Plate V. Fig. 1.— Milk as it appears under the Microscope. Drawn by M. P. Fig. 2.— Potato Starch as it appears under the Microscope. Drawn by J. S., age 14 years. 55 escape. Boiled potatoes are also digestible; but the water in which they nre boiled must not be used, because it contains the acrid juice. The potato when well cooked should be dry and mealy. E. N., Aged 15 years. The potato. — The potato is a native of South America, but was afterwards raised in North America. Sir John Hawkins introduced it into Ireland, where it is now the t hief article of food, and Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Ealeigh carried sam- ples of potatoes from America to Europe. They first became popular as a food in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Before that tinie, they were cultivated in gardens and not in fields. Potatoes belong to the nightshade order, a poisonous family of vegetables. They grow in temperate climates, and require a healthy soil. The part eaten is the tuber. Starch, sugar, water, fat, cellulose, and nitrogenous matter are contained in a potato. Starch will not dissolve in cold water, only in warm water. When it is heated to 320°, it changes to dextrin, or British gum. When part of a potato is seen through a microscope the starch grains can be readily distinguished. When they are scarce, rice, or other starchy foods can be served instead. Well-cooked potatoes should be dry and mealy; if they are waxy they are not digestible. Before serving baked potatoes, the skin should be broken, to enable the steam to escape. E. S., 13 years, 3 months. SYLLABUS OF LESSON ON MILK. Dairy industry. (Of great importance. United States considered one of leading dairy countries of the I world. Chief occupation of great many farmers. Large quantities of products exported. United States does not consume as much as some other coun- tries. Consumers' knowl- edge of dairy prod- ucts. Fresh or sweet milk .