514 Mr. Lawrence on the Nutritive 



tioiied and started eveu by Vauquelin 

 himself. I honour science, and its 

 laborious andindel'atigable cultivators, 

 with a reverence equal to that of any 

 man ; and am as truly impressed with a 

 sense of the important licnefits thence 

 conferred on human society, in almost 

 e very possible viewofprofitor pleasure. 

 Every temporal or mundane proposition 

 or thing, however, has its boundaries 

 and its defects. It shall enlighten and 

 succeed to such a degree, and under 

 given circumstances, but no farther. 

 We are not to expect absolute perfec- 

 tion, like the young modish scientific 

 farmer of twenty years since, who, 

 brimful of technicalities, had been 

 taught to prefer the creed of science, 

 as other creeds, to the direct evidence 

 of his own senses. There is a chemi- 

 cal analysis, and a practical analysis ; 

 and, although fortunately, on most 

 occasions, the former is sufficiently 

 accurate for use, yet, on some, it is not 

 to be depended on, and may lead to 

 very erroneous results: I must pre- 

 mise, indeed, the really scientific will 

 have perceived this. lama mere reader 

 in chemistry, but I bestow a share of 

 attention. A chemical analysis of two 

 substances, shall render to each a 

 certain portion of gluten, for instance. 

 But is gluten simple and unchangea- 

 ble, and of precisely similar strength 

 and quality, in all substances wherein 

 it may be contained ? 



Mr, Bartley says, that " In nutri- 

 tious eflfect, the farina of potatoes 

 greatly exceeds any given measure of 

 the best wheaten flour." Now, this is 

 in direct opposition to the whole tenor 

 of my experience ; and I have had the 

 best opportunities for practical experi- 

 ment, with both the human and brute 

 animal. The fact has been long prac- 

 tically and actually established, that 

 the farina of wheat is the most solid and 

 powerfully nutritive of all others in 

 common use. That of the other com- 

 mon grains follows in a certain order ; 

 the flour of potatoes, however sightly, 

 light, and agreeable, being inferior to 

 them all in solid nutritive effect. This 

 is proved by the quality of the flesh of 

 animals fattened, and by the propor- 

 tionate powers of labouring men or 

 animals fed. Feed a pig or any animal, 

 for slaughter, with the roots or farina 

 of potatoes, and you shall find the flesh 

 loose, unsubstantial, flavourless, of 

 dingy disagreeable colour, and gene- 

 rally shrinking from cookery. Feed a 

 similar animal with solid corn, meal, 



Properties of the Potatoe. [July I, 



or milk, and your experience shall be 

 the reverse. You will obtain firm and 

 solid flesh, both fat and lean, of sa- 

 voury flavour, and swelling in the pot : 

 \v orth also more at market by two- pence 

 or three-pence per lb. for the dealers 

 well understand the caveat emptor. I 

 am well aware, that very marketable 

 and eatable pork may be fattened upon 

 potatoes and corn together; still the 

 meat will be deteriorated in proportion 

 to the roots used. Put up to fatten 

 two storo-pigs of similar age and pro- 

 mise ; feed the one with potatoes in 

 any form you please, and the other 

 with corn or meal; and, at the end of 

 fourteen weeks, the latter shall bring 

 to the scale more weight, by many 

 stones, of eight pounds, than the for- 

 mer, supposing their store-weight to 

 have been equal. I have made expe- 

 riment of these things so often, that it 

 has long been an old song with me ; 

 and, without presuming overmuch, 1 

 may say, experto crede Roberto. I have 

 seen wretched labourers in Hants, 

 threshing on bread and water, perhaps 

 six successive days, without tasting 

 flesh meat. They were still able to 

 perform their labour, remarking, at 

 the same time, Ihat the entrails of 

 their wives and children were nearly 

 scoured out by living on potatoes. 

 This did not happen when they got 

 plenty of bread. However essentially 

 and radically I may differ from Mr. 

 Western in other respects, I cordially 

 agree with him in deprecating the 

 misery of a ' potatoe-fed popula- 

 tion.' But in the process of starch- 

 making, will be found the most de- 

 cisive tost of the superiority of the 

 farina of wheat. The meal of a bushel 

 of wheat, weighing sixty pounds, will 

 manufacture into twenty-five poundsof 

 starch ; but the like weight of the 

 farina of potatoes will not produce any 

 thing like an equal weight of starch ; 

 which is also, though shining and beau- 

 tiful, light, loose, unsubstantial, and 

 comparatively worthless. Ground into 

 hair-powder, it is still less successful. 

 It is pretended, that the potatoe 

 farina is equal in substance and efl'eet 

 to that of t!}e arrow- root of the West- 

 India islands; the English of which is 

 the superior cheapness of the former, 

 whence itis also so difiBcult to obtain the 

 arrow-rootgenuine. If wasonce, more- 

 over, the crack among writers de re 

 rustica, to represent carrots as equal in 

 substantial nutriment to oats, for la- 

 bouring horses. As an experimenter, 

 I tried 



