POTATO SOUP.—­For each quart of soup required, cook a pint of sliced potatoes in sufficient water to cover them.  When tender, rub through a colander.  Return to the fire, and add enough rich, sweet milk, part cream if it can be afforded to make a quart in all, and a little salt.  Let the soup come to a boil, and add a teaspoonful of flour or corn starch, rubbed to a paste with a little water; boil a few minutes and serve.  A cup and a half of cold mashed potato or a pint of sliced baked potato can be used instead of fresh material; in which case add the milk and heat before rubbing through the colander.  A slice of onion or a stalk of celery may be simmered in the soup for a few minutes to flavor, and then removed with a skimmer or a spoon.  A good mixed potato soup is made by using one third sweet and two thirds Irish potatoes, in the same manner as above.

POTATO AND VERMICELLI SOUP.—­Breakup a cupful of vermicelli and drop into boiling water.  Let it cook for ten or fifteen minutes, and then turn into a colander to drain.  Have ready a potato soup prepared the same as in the proceeding; stir the vermicelli lightly into it just before serving.

SAGO AND POTATO SOUP.—­Prepare the soup as directed for Potato Soup, from fresh or cold mashed potato, using a little larger quantity of milk or cream, as the sago adds thickness to the soap.  When seasoned and ready to reheat, turn a second time through the colander, and add for each quart of soup, one heaping tablespoonful of sago which has been soaked for twenty minutes in just enough water to cover.  Boil together five or ten minutes, or until the sago is transparent, and serve.

SCOTCH BROTH.—­Soak over night two tablespoonfuls of pearl barley and one of coarse oatmeal, in water sufficient to cover them.  In the morning, put the grains, together with the water in which they were soaked, into two quarts of water and simmer for several hours, adding boiling water as needed.  About an hour before the soup is required, add a turnip cut into small dice, a grated carrot, and one half cup of fine pieces of the brown portion of the crust of a loaf of whole-wheat bread.  Rub all through a colander, and add salt, a cup of milk, and a half cup of thin cream.  This should make about three pints of soup.

SPLIT PEA SOUP.—­For each quart of soup desired, simmer a cupful of split peas very slowly in three pints of boiling water for six hours, or until thoroughly dissolved.  When done, rub through a colander, add salt and season with one half cup of thin cream.  Reheat, and when boiling, stir into it two teaspoonfuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water.  Boil up until thickened, and serve.  If preferred, the cream may be omitted and the soup flavored with a little celery or onion.

SWEET POTATO SOUP.—­To a pint of cold mashed sweet potato add a pint and a half of strained stewed tomato, rub together through a colander, add salt to season, and half a cup of cream.  Reheat and serve.