Stew.—­Pour into the meat can one man’s allowance of tomatoes and add about two large hardtacks broken into small pieces and let come to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste, or add a pinch of salt and one-fourth spoonful of sugar.

Or, having tried the bacon, pour the tomatoes into the meat can, the grease remaining, and add, if desired, two broken hardtacks.  Set over a brisk fire and let come to a boil.

Or, heat the tomatoes just as they come from the can, adding two pinches of salt and one-half spoonful of sugar, if desired.

Or, especially in hot weather, eaten cold with hard bread, they are very palatable.

Rice.—­Take about two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boll, add four heaping spoonfuls of rice, and boil until the grains are soft enough to be easily mashed between the fingers (about 20 minutes).  Add two pinches of salt and, after stirring, pour off the water and empty rice out on meat can.  Bacon grease or sugar may be added.

Cornmeal,_fine_hominy,_oatmeal_.—­Take about one-third of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add 4 heaping spoonfuls of the meal or hominy, and boil about 20 minutes.  Then add about two pinches of salt and stir well.

Driedbeans_and_peas_.—­Put 4 heaping spoonfuls in about two-thirds of a cupful of water and boil until soft.  This generally takes from three to four hours.  Add one pinch of salt.  About half an hour before the beans are done add one slice of bacon.

HOT BREADS.

Flapjacks.—­Take 6 spoonfuls of flour and one-third spoonful of baking powder and mix thoroughly (or dry mix in a large pan before issue, at the rate of 25 pounds of flour and 3 half cans of baking powder for 100 men).  Add sufficient cold water to make a batter that will drip freely from the spoon, adding a pinch of salt.  Pour into the meat can, which should contain the grease from fried bacon or a spoonful of butter or fat, and place over medium hot coals sufficient to bake, so that in from 5 to 7 minutes the flapjack may be turned by a quick toss of the pan.  Fry from 5 to 7 minutes longer, or until by examination it is found to be done.

Hoecake.—­Hoecake is made exactly the same as flapjacks by substituting cornmeal_ for flour.

Emergencyrations_.—­Detailed instructions as to the manner of preparing the emergency ration are found on the label of each can.  Remember that even a very limited amount of bacon or hard bread, or both, consumed with the emergency ration makes it far more palatable, and generally extends the period during which it can be consumed with relish.  For this reason it would be better to husband the supply of hard bread and bacon for use with the emergency ration when it becomes evident that the latter must be consumed rather than to retain the emergency ration to the last extremity and force its exclusive use for a longer period than two or three days.