The wandering Arab lives almost entirely upon bread, with a few dates as a relish.

Behind the nutty loaf is the mill wheel; behind the mill is the wheat field; on the wheat field rests the sunlight; above the sun is God.—James Russell Lowell.

Bread stands at the head of all foods. It has very properly been termed “the staff of life.”

Why this is so is because wheat, from which bread is mostly made, contains more nearly than any other one article, all the necessary food elements required to sustain the human system, and these, too, in proper proportions, and so forms most nearly a perfect food. From it the brain, bones, muscles, and nerves, all receive a large amount of nourishment.

This being so, bread should enter largely into the daily bill of fare of every family. It is hardly too much to say that no meal is complete without it.

Where little bread is used, serious defects may frequently be observed. For instance, in some of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, where no wheat has been grown, and little could be obtained, the inhabitants almost universally have poor teeth. The early decay of the teeth so prevalent among the rising generation to-day, may generally be attributed to four causes: (1) A lack of sufficient lime in the water; (2) too free indulgence in sweets, such as rich cakes, jams, and candies; (3) too large an amount of flesh foods; and (4) an insufficient supply of good, simple, wholesome bread, especially whole wheat bread.

Home-made bread, when properly prepared, is generally to be preferred to bakers’ bread. Chemicals and adulterations, as well as a lack of cleanliness and proper care in preparation, not infrequently characterize the latter, and thus give rise to serious stomach disorders. Moreover, bakers’ bread is not always obtainable, and is always necessarily more expensive than that which is home-made. The baker can not afford to work for nothing. For these reasons, every woman, and especially every wife and mother, ought to know how to make good bread. The temptation to patronize the bake shop should not outweigh the interests of the health of the family, and the duty to practise economy.

The essentials to good bread-making are three:—