Oatmeal porridge is a leading article of food with the Scottish peasantry. It is generally accompanied with milk, when milk is to be had; when milk is very scarce butter is some-times used, sometimes sugar, and sometimes treacle or beer. " For most persons in a sound condition of health," says a north-country writer, " there is no more wholesome article of food than porridge and milk, none that contains a larger proportion both of flesh-forming and heat-producing substances; whilst to almost all who have ever been accustomed to its use, it is extremely palatable. Generally speaking, there is no better article of food for the nursery, none more likely to maintain a healthy condition of the stomach, or to give vigour to the frame; although there are exceptional cases, both amongst the young and amongst adults, in which the use of porridge is unsuitable, producing painful distension of the stomach and indigestion. Whilst the caprices of children ought not to be heeded in such a matter, the actual condition of their constitutions ought to be carefully observed and regarded. Porridge is in general made by simply boiling oatmeal in water, stirring all the time to prevent it sticking and burning, and to secure the thorough mixture of the meal and water into a homogeneous mass without knots. The quality of porridge very much depends on the amount of boiling which it receives. It cannot be too thoroughly boiled. Imperfectly-boiled oatmeal porridge is a very coarse article of food; and unfortunately much of the porridge used by the poorer classes in Scotland and elsewhere is of this character, and the porridge prepared for the nursery is often no better, through the carelessness of servants who wish to get through their work with as little trouble as possible. It is not nearly so digestible, and, therefore, not so nutritious, as porridge really well made. A common mistake in the making of porridge must also here be noticed as tending much to the deterioration of its quality - the adding of meal by degrees, whilst the boiling goes on, until the proper thickness is acquired, the result being that part of the meal is imperfectly boiled. The cook ought to know the proper proportions of meal and water - knowledge not very difficult to acquire - and mix them at once, so that all the meal may be equally well boiled. But it is to be observed that the water must be boiling before the meal is put in, which is not to be introduced in a mass, but, as it were, strained through the fingers handful by handful as quickly as possible.

The porridge boiled with water should be served in a soup plate. It should be like a thick pudding. Cold milk should be served with it in a jug.