Not only the food value of the daily menu is to be considered but the preparation of the food is of vital consequence. I am fortunately able to give a concrete instance of the importance and economical value of a scientific method in the selection and preparation of a dinner for a company of 1200 prisoners. I was visiting recently a large prison farm in one of the Southern States. The superintendent had just indicated his progressive spirit by employing a skilled institutional dietitian to spend a few days in their culinary department. Orders were issued for the cooking force to obey implicitly the instructions of the temporary chef. Two Prison Menus. The day before he took charge the following stew had been prepared, the method being much the same as in nine-tenths of the public institutions of the United States. The ingredients were as follows: 874 lbs. beef @ 12c. $104.88 200 lbs. rice @ 8c. 16.00 ------- Total cost $120.88 “In this stew the meat was put on, bone and all, in hot water and stewed for about two hours; then it was dipped out and the rice was boiled in the liquor which remained. The meat was tough and unpalatable, and the rice worse, many of the prisoners saying that altho they had not tasted beef for more than a month they could not eat it.” After the meal large quantities of the meat was gathered up for the garbage can. The day previous to my visit, under this dietitian the following ingredients were used for a stew: 390 lbs. beef @ 12c. $46.80 303 lbs. white potatoes @ $1.25 bushel 8.25 70 lbs. onions @ 5c. 3.50 3 lbs. baking powder @ 10c. .30 40 lbs. flour @ 6c. 2.40 ½ lb. pepper @ 30c. .15 5 lbs. lard @ 30c. 1.50 ------ Total cost $62.90 “The beef was cut clean from all the bones and cut into small one-inch cubes. It was then put in equal quantities in five thirty-gallon kettles and these were then filled to about two-thirds their depth with cold water at 4 A. M. This was kept simmering till 10 A. M. when the sliced onions were added. At 10.30 the pepper, salt and potatoes were added, and then the dumplings which had been prepared were added, care being taken not to place enough in any one pot at one time to bring it below the boiling point, always putting on the lids immediately in order to prevent the cold air from making the dumplings heavy. The dumplings were a great success considering the crude equipment, and were made as follows: