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Sect. 2.-the Rich Man's Superfluities

BOILINGS. 1172. The cook should be charged to save the boilings of every piece of meat, ham, tongue, &c., however salt; as it is easy to use only a part of them, mixed with an equal or double quantity of fresh water; and by the addition of more vegetables-the bones of the meat used in the family-the pieces of meat that come from table on the plates-and rice, Scotch barley, or oatmeal-there will be some gallons of nutritious soup two or three times a week. The bits of meat should be only warmed in the soup, and remain whole; but the bones should be boiled in the digester till they yield their nourishment. If the things are ready to put in the boiler as soon as the meat is served, it will save the fresh fire for second cooking. Should the soup be poor of meat, the long boiling of the bones and different vegetables, will afford better nourishment than the laborious poor can obtain; especially as they are rarely tolerable cooks, and have not fuel to do justice to what they buy. In every family there is some superfluity; and, if it is prepared with cleanliness and care, the benefit will be very great to the receiver, and the satisfaction no less to the giver. In times of scarcity, ten or fifteen gallons of soup could be dealt out weekly at an expense not worth mentioning, even though the vegetables were bought; and if, in any village containing ten gentlemen's houses, the quantity of ten gallons were made in each, there would be a hundred gallons of wholesome and agreeable food given weekly for the supply of forty poor families, at the rate of two gallons and a half each.