Bread.—It is said that the Chinese were the first bread makers, and that they made bread from wheat and rice as early as 1998 B. C. Probably the first bread made from yeast was baked in England in about 1634. Aërated bread, which rises from carbolic acid gas injected into the dough, became somewhat common in 1857, but practically all bread, bakery-made or home-made, owes its leavening to yeast or baking powder.
Breakfast Foods.—Breakfast foods in the main are composed of either corn, wheat, or oat products, a few being made of barley, starch, and tapioca. They are sold under trade names, and most of them need no cooking by the consumer, as they were properly cooked at the mill. Usually they are made of only one grain, and to some of them is added a small quantity of salt. Most of them are pure products and are unadulterated, but few, if any of them, are any better than the grain sold in bulk, which can be purchased for about 4 cents per pound.
Brook Farm.—A famous socialistic community, originated by George Ripley and others in 1841 and located near West Roxbury, Massachusetts. The estate consisted of two hundred acres, and a company of educated men and women settled here to work out an experiment, in which each person performed a certain share of necessary manual labor. The enterprise was abandoned as an utter failure in 1846. Among the persons connected with the movement were George Ripley, Charles A. Dana, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, George William Curtis, Theodore Parker, Margaret Fuller, and Dr. Channing.
Calculating Interest
To find the interest on any sum, at any rate per cent., and for any length of time: 1st. Multiply the principal by the rate per cent., expressed in hundredths; this will give the interest for one year. 2nd. Find the number of days remaining by consulting the calendar; and multiply the principal by as many hundredths as there are days, and for 3 per cent., divide the product by 120; for 4 per cent., divide by 90; for 5 per cent., divide by 72; for 6 per cent., divide by 60; for 7 per cent., divide by 52; for 8 per cent., divide by 45; for 9 per cent., divide by 40; for 10 per cent., divide by 36; and for 12 per cent., divide by 30. This will give the interest for the days. 3rd. Add the two items of interest, and the sum will be the entire interest.
To find the number of days from any day of any one month to the same day of any other month.
| From | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | June | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To January | 365 | 334 | 306 | 275 | 245 | 214 | ||||||
| February | 31 | 365 | 337 | 306 | 276 | 245 | ||||||
| March | 59 | 28 | 365 | 334 | 304 | 273 | ||||||
| April | 90 | 59 | 31 | 365 | 335 | 304 | ||||||
| May | 120 | 89 | 61 | 30 | 365 | 334 | ||||||
| June | 151 | 120 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 365 | ||||||
| July | 181 | 150 | 122 | 91 | 61 | 30 | ||||||
| August | 212 | 181 | 153 | 122 | 92 | 61 | ||||||
| September | 243 | 212 | 184 | 153 | 123 | 92 | ||||||
| October | 273 | 242 | 214 | 183 | 153 | 122 | ||||||
| November | 304 | 273 | 245 | 214 | 184 | 153 | ||||||
| December | 334 | 303 | 275 | 244 | 214 | 183 | ||||||
| N. B.—In leap year, if the last day of February comesbetween, add one day to the number in the table. | ||||||||||||
| From | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To January | 184 | 153 | 122 | 92 | 61 | 31 | ||||||
| February | 215 | 184 | 153 | 123 | 92 | 62 | ||||||
| March | 243 | 212 | 181 | 151 | 120 | 90 | ||||||
| April | 274 | 243 | 212 | 182 | 151 | 121 | ||||||
| May | 304 | 273 | 242 | 212 | 181 | 151 | ||||||
| June | 335 | 304 | 273 | 243 | 212 | 182 | ||||||
| July | 365 | 334 | 303 | 273 | 242 | 212 | ||||||
| August | 31 | 365 | 334 | 304 | 273 | 243 | ||||||
| September | 62 | 31 | 365 | 335 | 304 | 274 | ||||||
| October | 92 | 61 | 30 | 365 | 334 | 304 | ||||||
| November | 123 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 365 | 335 | ||||||
| December | 153 | 122 | 91 | 61 | 30 | 365 | ||||||
| N. B.—In leap year, if the last day of February comesbetween, add one day to the number in the table. | ||||||||||||
Canals.—The Suez Canal is 90 miles long with a depth of 35 feet, and is 108 feet wide at the bottom. It cost $100,000,000. The Manchester Canal, between Manchester and Liverpool, is 35-1/2 miles long, with a depth of 28 feet, and 120 feet wide at the bottom. It cost $85,000,000. The canal connecting the Baltic and North Seas is 61 miles long, 29-1/2 feet deep, and has a bottom width of 72 feet. It cost $40,000,000. The Panama Canal, which is not yet completed, will be about 50 miles in length, with a width of 300 feet, and a minimum depth of 41 feet. The United States Government paid $50,000,000 to the new French Canal Company and the Republic of Panama, for property rights and franchises, and the total cost of the canal will not be far from $375,000,000. At the present time nearly 50,000 men are at work upon the canal, and the official opening is announced for January 1, 1915. When completed, it will be the largest work of its class in the world, although not the longest canal.