SOCIETY is about our only hope. Lord Bacon wrote the first half of a book on this subject of an ideal society or community, and he described as a first requisite his "SOLOMON'S HOUSE," a college or school where NATURAL SCIENCE was taught.
Thomas More portrayed the same ideas in his "UTOPIA," a beautiful island where ideal laws and conditions prevailed. Campanella also had an idea in his "CITY OF THE SUN."
Where temptation is removed better conditions exist, for human nature always wavers and no one is permanently wise. The lad in the country is healthier than the one in the city. Why? Because there are less temptations in the country.
What is it that perfects animals but forcing proper rules upon them?
I have experimented with fowl and found that you can perfect them by proper treatment. I raised 56 pullets one spring, and that winter I had eggs galore. The fowl were healthy and happy. I fed them only two meals a day on cracked corn and wheat or the regular "scratch feed" of the market in the morning, and at night gave them scalded meal, seasoned with some salt, pepper and onions; sometimes cooked potato parings, etc., were used. I supplied the fowl with fresh ground bone which held some fat, of course. I always had gravel and ground oyster shells before them, also plenty of fresh water. They had their run and found grass both in summer and winter, and had a dry, roomy house.
Meat is not only unnecessary to animal life, but is injurious. My hens laid more eggs than any others about and were bright, active and healthy, yet they had no meat during all the winter. The bone was not necessary, for I had at times fed poultry a little fat or oil instead of the ground bone, and they did just as well.
The mind has a great effect on the digestion, and it is necessary in selecting our food and drink to have it agreeable. Of course, this does not mean that because something tastes good we should use it, for poisons often taste pleasant. We mean that from a variety of salutary food we should select what we like, and again any combination, adjustment or preparation which enhances the food is very useful. For instance:
Potatoes mashed, mixed with eggs, flour, pepper and salt and other articles which are not injurious, and then fried in a little butter are very agreeable, and many such manipulations of foods are wise.