CEREALS (cultivated grasses) rank first among vegetable foods; being of hardy growth and easy cultivation, they are more widely diffused over the globe than any of the flowering plants. They include wheat, oats, rye, barley, maize (Indian corn), and rice; some authorities place buckwheat among them. Wheat probably is the most largely consumed; next to wheat, comes rice.

Table Showing Composition

Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

Macaroni, spaghetti, and vermicelli are made from wheaten flour, rich in gluten, moistened to a stiff dough with water, and forced through small apertures in an iron plate by means of a screw press. Various Italian pastes are made from the same mixture. Macaroni is manufactured to some extent in this country, but the best comes from Italy,

Lagana and Pejero, being the favorite brand. When macaroni is colored, it is done by the use of saffron, not by eggs, as is generally supposed. The only egg macaroni is manufactured in strips, and comes from Minneapolis.

Macaroni is valuable food, as it is very cheap and nutritious; but being deficient in fat, it should be combined with cream, butter, or cheese, to make a perfect food.

From cereals many preparations are made, used alone, or in combination with other food products. From rice is made rice flour: from oats, oatmeal, and oats steam-cooked and rolled. There are many species of corn, the principal varieties being white, yellow, and red. From corn is made corn meal, - both white and yellow, - cornstarch, hominy, maizena, cerealine, samp, and hulled corn; from wheat, wheaten or white flour, and a variety of breakfast foods. Rye is used for flakes, meal, and flour; barley, for flour and pearl barley. Buckwheat, throughout the United States, is used only when made into flour for buckwheat cakes.

For family use, cereals should be bought in small quantities, and kept in glass jars, tightly covered. Many cereal preparations are on the market for making breakfast mushes, put up in one and two pound packages, with directions for cooking. In nearly all cases, time allowed for cooking is not sufficient, unless dish containing cereal is brought in direct contact with fire, which is not the best way. Mushes should be cooked over hot water after the first five minutes; if a double boiler is not procurable, improvise one. Boiling water and salt should always be added to cereals, allowing one teaspoon salt to each cup of cereal, - boiled to soften cellulose and swell starch grains, salted to give flavor. Indian meal and finely ground preparations should be mixed with cold water before adding boiling water, to prevent lumping.