Growth Of The Oat-meal Trade

Purhaps in no departmont of the grocory trade has tho increase of late yoars been more apparent than in that of oatincal. As an article of diot it is now usod very genorally in the Eastern, Middle, and Western States, and is fast making inroads iuto the hitherto undiaputed domain of Iudian-meal in tho South and Southwest. This is certainly a fit causo for general congratulation, for no more healthy or nutritious food exists than a good oat-meal porridge. lts mild, aperient, and unequaled inuscle-producing qualities rendar it partioularly suitable as a breakfast diet for Americans. lts phosphorescent qualities act as a gentle and healthy stimulant to the brain, and on no other food can ono endure so great or so prolonged mental labor as on oat-meal porridge. Properly cooked, it is not only a most healthful and nutritious food, but it is decidedly pala ta ble, as is fully attested by its wondorfully rapid adoption as a popular diet by the very fastidious palates of our American people " The healsome parnccii, eüiel o Scotia s lood, " to which Burns refers iu the " Cotter's Saturday Night," can be had in its greatest perfection f rom Scotch oat-nieal, tor of Scotland we may say it is indeed thenational food. Iroland, too, produces good oat-meal. - But our chief supplies are drawn froiu the neighboring Dominion of Canada, which for years has stood pre-eminent for tho quality of the meal which she produces, vieing with the mother country for the palm of excellence, and iu at least one International Exhibition, carrying off the badge of' victory from the " Land o' Cakes." Here, too, in the United States, we are inanufaoturing this article to some extent, and it will in course of time, no doubt, becorae an important industry though the inferior quality of our oats militates materially against it. The analysia of the Imperial Scotch Oat-meal, made by the eminent chemists Liebig and Hassell, shows tuat while whuat and barley contain but fourteen, and corn but twelve and a quarter, oats contain within a very small fraction of twenty per cent.of the uutrititious protein elements of life and muscle-giving qualities. As a food, the merits of which have stood the test of centuries, and which is calculated to promote the sanitary interests of the nation by laying tho foundation for more hardy and vigorous constitutions for the coming generations, let us regard its general adoption as an article of diet. as nothin