104 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



rock biscuits— being entirely made from it; also the jellies, 

 blanc-manj,'e, &c., produced from the pure fecula, without 

 animal matter of any kind — in fact, no addition but the 

 usual seasonings. The soup, also, 'which appeared to be a 

 palatable and nutritious food for the lower classes, was 

 stated to be made of a small quantity of bacon, thickened 

 with the meal of the potato, and which was capable of being 

 made in a short period of time at a cost of about one far- 

 thing per pint. 



Mr. Rogers then alluded to the general impression as to 

 the want of nutritive power in the potato, and deprecated 

 the publication of statements which were founded in error, 

 stating that there was " little, if any, nutriment in the po- 

 tato." He contended that the nutritive properties of the 

 meal and flour of potatoes were almost, if not entirely, equal 

 to that of wheat ; and then gave the following analyses of 

 each, assuming the constituents, for the support of animal 

 life, contained in vegetables, to be starch, sugar, and gluten. 

 When converted into meal, the potato contains— 



Starch and sugar 84'08 



Gluten 14-82 



Oil MO 



100- 

 While wheat, converted into meal, contained — 



Starch and sugar 78'20 



Gluten 17'53 



Oil 427 



100- 



Thus showing that the difference between the gluten was 

 but 2| per cent., while the starch and sugar were more 

 abundant. 



The ditference between "meal and flour of potato," pre- 

 pared as recommended, and " farina," was pointed out. Fa- 

 rina is the starch of the potato, taken from the fibre, and 

 coatains nothing beyond the properties of starch ; while 

 the fibre, which is thrown away in the manufacture of fa- 

 rina, is rich in animal matter and oil, and by being com- 

 bined with the farina or fecula, produces a meal or flour 

 closely analogous to that of grain. This fact it was parti- 

 cularly necessary to bear in mind, in order to counteract the 

 impression that there was but little nutriment in potatoes 

 — a strange one, where so many millions lived on them as 

 their only food. 



A comparison was then entered into between the relative 

 amount of food obtained from an acre of land in wheat and 

 potatoes. On this subject, Mr. Rogers stated that he did 

 not rely on his own experience, but cited the authority of 

 practical men as to produce, and of eminent scientific men, 

 as to the analysis of the respective crops, stating the follow- 

 ing as the result of his inquiry : — 



Starch & Sugar. Gluten. Oil. 



1 acre of Wheat ... . 825 lbs. 185 lbs. 45 lbs. 



1 acre of Potatoes . , 3427 lbs. 604 lbs. 45 lbs. 



Thus it appears that potatoes will produce of meal and 

 flour, FOUR TIMES, nearly, in weight, what can be had from 

 wheat— a fact not generally known, but which could not 

 be contradicted. He begged to impress this startling fact 

 on the minds of those who heard him, and hoped to rescue 

 the potato from the calumnies thrown upon it. In an esta- 

 blishment, such as the South Dublin Union Workhouse, 

 containing from 1,800 to 2,000 persons, Mr. Rogers stated' 

 that from fifty to sixty paupers would be able to prepare of 

 potato meal and flour, by the simple means in operation, a suf- 

 ficiency—say, four to five tons per week— for the use of the 

 house, mixed with other meal, by which a saving would be 

 made in the expenditure of tlie establishment of above 

 £1,500 a year. He sat down midst much applause. 



Sir Robert Shaw, Bart., who presided on the occasion, 

 expressed his astonishment at what he had seen, and at the 

 statements made by Mr. Rogers, as to the nutritive pro- 

 perties of the potato, compared with those of corn, which 

 differed greatly from the impression which had been hitherto 

 on his mind, on the subject. He would have supposed it 

 impossible to put the potato into so many different forms as 

 they had before them. They all owed great obligations to 

 Mr. Rogers for the handsome manner in which that enter- 



tainment had been put before them, and in the name of the 

 Guardians, he (the chairman) returned him thanks. He 

 had brought most valuable information before them, which 

 would be of great use if disseminated through the country. 



Mr. Rogers returned thanks, and in doing so, observed 

 that his great object was to render the manufacture of the 

 potato general, henceforward, throughout the country — not 

 alone for workhouses and jails, but that every poor cottier 

 might be enabled to have his bread, his stirabout, and his 

 soup, as well as his boiled potato— which could be done by 

 teaching the people a most simple process, capable of being 

 carried on in every cottage in the country. 



Considering the large and influential body of gentlemen 

 before whom Mr. Rogers so successfully exhibited the good 

 account to which our much-abused vegetable may be turned, 

 it is to be hoped that some of them, at least, will further 

 test the advantages which he held forth. No better expe- 

 dient could have been adopted for showing the value of the 

 potato, in a way notlikelytobe forgotten ; and it must be re- 

 membered that although it was extraordinary circumstances 

 which caused the matter to be brought so forcibly under 

 public notice, yet, under ordinary circumstances, it cannot 

 be questioned that a portion of the crop may be converted 

 into meal with great advantage, and be made the means of 

 adding largely to the comforts of our peasantry. — Irish 

 Farmers'' J our7ial, May, 1846. 



TITHE COMMUTATION. 



Sir, — As many of your readers may feel anxious to know 

 the result of the corn average for the seven years to Chtiatmas 

 last, published by authority in the London Gazette of the 8th 

 inat., viz. — 



Wheat Vs. 2|d. per imperial bushel. 



Barley 43. 3^d. „ „ 



Oats 29.11d. „ „ 



I beg to state, for their information, that each £100 of tithe 

 rent-charge will, for the year 1858, amount to £105 168. SJd., 

 which is a little more than 6 per cent, above the last year's 

 value. 



The following statement, from my forthcoming " Annual 

 Tithe Commutation Tables," will show the worth of £100 of 

 tithe rent-charge for each year since the passing of the Tithe 

 Commutation Act, viz. : — For the year 



£ s. d. 



1837 98 13 9i 



1838 97 7 11 



1839 95 7 9 



1840 98 15 9J 



1841 102 12 5i 



1842 105 8 2| 



1843 105 12 2i 



1844 104 3 5i 



1845 103 17 Hi 



1846 102 17 8J 



1817 99 18 lOi 



1848 102 1 



1849 100 3 7| 



1850 98 16 10 



1851 96 11 4| 



1852 93 16 Hi 



1853 91 13 5| 



1854 90 19 5 



1855 89 15 8| 



93 18 U 



1856 



1857 

 1858 



99 13 7i 

 .. 105 16 3i 



22) £2,178 2 6i 



General average for 22 years .. £99 1^ 

 I am, sir, your most obedient servant, 



Charles M. Willicii, 

 Actuary University Life Assurance Society. 

 25, Suffolk-street, Pail-Mall, Jan. 9. 



