I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was
found in a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.

"Reliable" Cooking

In Olden days the housewife sought
The village store to barter
Her eggs and truck for flour and meal—
And likewise, cream of tartar.

But no one knew until 'twas tried
The fate of cake or Biscuit;
So people said, "This is all wrong—
'Tis foolishness to risk it."

Then Marston's Pastry and fine Cake
By all were envied sadly;
They said, "Tell us your recipe.
We'll buy, and use it gladly."

So Marston said, "This flour obtains
In just the right proportion,
The Cream of Tartar, Soda pure—
Relieves you of precaution."

And then we formed a company
(It was most justifiable)
To sell this preparation which
Was rightly called "Reliable."

"Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
Or "Graham," all are praising;
"Reliable" Prepared the brand—
And mark you—all Self-raising.

So don’t delay, but buy today
Your morning loaf to leaven;
Tho' common flour is well enough,
"Reliable" is heaven.

There is confirmation for this in The American Kitchen Magazine
(1898), where we find the following: “In the bakery of Marston's
famous Boston restaurant there are employed generally about
twenty-eight people in the preparation of the three meals of the
day. In the old-fashioned way of measuring and mixing, it would
be impossible to have everything always just right. But samples
of the different ingredients were analyzed and tested for purity
and nutrition, and the exact proportions in mixing to obtain the
best results determined. Then the flour and the meal were mixed
in bulk with the exact proportions of pure soda and
cream-of-tartar, and the many bakers drew on this supply,
uniformly good success being the result. So Marston's achieved
its world-wide reputation for its bread and pastry.

“One readily sees how the flour business grew up. Patrons
inquired regarding the ingredients which were used, and then
bought the preparations in small quantities from the bakery
department. The demand became so great that the Reliable Flour
Company was formed, and its customers are supplied with the same
preparations as those used constantly in the famous restaurant.

“These preparations remove the uncertainty of the strength and
quality of ingredients, and abolish one of the greatest vexations
of the housewife. They are adapted not only to bread, biscuit and
pastry, but to nearly everything in which flour or meal is the basis”

I confess that I found this interesting partially because I hadn't
realized that Reliable Flour was self-rising.

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
>I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was found in
>a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.
[...]

Snipped the curious doggerel. Thanks for that Jean.

"Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
Or "Graham," all are praising;
"Reliable" Prepared the brand—
And mark you—all Self-raising.

What is 'Graham' (or is it 'a Graham'?)? I have seen the breakfast cereal,
but I deduce from this it has a more general meaning.

Tim W

"Tim W" > writes:


>"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
>>I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was found in
>>a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.
>[...]
>
>Snipped the curious doggerel. Thanks for that Jean.
>
> "Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
> Or "Graham," all are praising;
> "Reliable" Prepared the brand—
> And mark you—all Self-raising.
>
>What is 'Graham' (or is it 'a Graham'?)? I have seen the breakfast cereal,
>but I deduce from this it has a more general meaning.

"Graham flour" as in "Graham crackers"; whole wheat.

Lee Rudolph

"Tim W" > wrote:

>
>"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
>>I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was found in
>>a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.
>[...]
>
>Snipped the curious doggerel. Thanks for that Jean.
>
> "Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
> Or "Graham," all are praising;
> "Reliable" Prepared the brand—
> And mark you—all Self-raising.
>
>What is 'Graham' (or is it 'a Graham'?)? I have seen the breakfast cereal,
>but I deduce from this it has a more general meaning.

Graham flour is a particular variety of whole wheat flour, made by
grinding the different parts of the wheat (germ, bran, endosperm)
separately and then recombining them. "Dr" Graham was an early 1800's
advocate of dietary reform.

--
Jenn Ridley |

Tim W wrote:
> "Jean B." > wrote in message
> ...
>> I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was found in
>> a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.
> [...]
>
> Snipped the curious doggerel. Thanks for that Jean.
>
> "Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
> Or "Graham," all are praising;
> "Reliable" Prepared the brand—
> And mark you—all Self-raising.
>
> What is 'Graham' (or is it 'a Graham'?)? I have seen the breakfast cereal,
> but I deduce from this it has a more general meaning.
>
> Tim W
>
Not having the item before me now, I assume it meant graham flour.

--
Jean B.

Jenn Ridley wrote:
> "Tim W" > wrote:
>
>> "Jean B." > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was found in
>>> a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.
>> [...]
>>
>> Snipped the curious doggerel. Thanks for that Jean.
>>
>> "Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
>> Or "Graham," all are praising;
>> "Reliable" Prepared the brand—
>> And mark you—all Self-raising.
>>
>> What is 'Graham' (or is it 'a Graham'?)? I have seen the breakfast cereal,
>> but I deduce from this it has a more general meaning.
>
> Graham flour is a particular variety of whole wheat flour, made by
> grinding the different parts of the wheat (germ, bran, endosperm)
> separately and then recombining them. "Dr" Graham was an early 1800's
> advocate of dietary reform.
>
> --
> Jenn Ridley |

Aha! Good to finally have an explanation that goes beyond the
usual "whole wheat". Thanks.

--
Jean B.

Jenn Ridley > wrote:

>"Tim W" > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
>>>I see no hits for this on google, so I'll post it here. This was found in
>>>a 6-page, undated foldout from Reliable Flour Co.
>>[...]
>>
>>Snipped the curious doggerel. Thanks for that Jean.
>>
>> "Biscuit"—"Corn Cake"—"Entire Wheat"
>> Or "Graham," all are praising;
>> "Reliable" Prepared the brand—
>> And mark you—all Self-raising.
>>
>>What is 'Graham' (or is it 'a Graham'?)? I have seen the breakfast cereal,
>>but I deduce from this it has a more general meaning.
>
>Graham flour is a particular variety of whole wheat flour, made by
>grinding the different parts of the wheat (germ, bran, endosperm)
>separately and then recombining them. "Dr" Graham was an early 1800's
>advocate of dietary reform.

And worth Googling. He made a guest appearance on Alton Brown's
show the other day. Brown made some sacrilegious 'graham
crackers' loaded with sinful flavor.

Jim

Haven't watched that one. Is it on YouTube? I like to watch it. Anyway, what sinful flavor are you talking about?