REPORT ON THE DIETARIES 



Scotcli agricultural labourer contains, according to the fore- 

 going table, nearly |th more carbon than the specified quantity ; 

 while the weekly consumpt of carbon by a Scotch agricultural 

 adult is as nearly as possible the exact quantity which Professor 

 Playfair states to be necessary for the support of an active 

 (though not hard-worked) labourer, namely 41,958 grains per 

 week. 



This goes far to prove that the dietary of the Scotch agricul- 

 tural population as a class, is better calculated to sustain a man 

 in vigour and muscular health and strength, than the general 

 articles of food daily consumed by the hard-working, low-fed 

 population of other industrial occupations. The comparative 

 death-rates of this class in the two countries, and of the agricul- 

 tural districts in Scotland compared with the hard-worked classes 

 ©f labourers and mechanics in town districts, amply verify these 

 remarks. 



Having thus considered what may be styled the national 

 Scotch agricultural dietary, in relation to nutritive properties, 

 and its comparative cheapness as against the dietary of English 

 labourers and town tradesmen, we may carry the comparison 

 still further, and place our Scotch average cost against that of 

 the almost universal article of daily food amongst the poorer 

 classes of the working population in Ireland — Indian com meal 

 or maize. 



In this view we find that the average amount of nutritive food 

 obtained from a given sum, by the rural population of Ireland, is 

 considerably larger than even that of Scotland, and is twice as 

 great as that of England. This startling fact is to be ascribed to 

 the very general use made by the poorer classes of Indian corn 

 meal, which is well known to possess excellent nutritious pro- 

 perties, and a very large proportion of carbonaceous and nitro- 

 genous elements. In these particulars it may be said to be 

 equal to oatmeal, and hence it is the difference in the market 

 value of the two commodities which gives the total average of 

 cost in favour of the Irish staple over that of Scotland. 



The low-fed agricultural population of Scotland may be divided 

 into four classes: — 



1. Shepherds or ploughmen (married men), generally with 



