420] 
of the importation of wheat, of 
Indian corn, and of rye, some con- 
siderable supplies may be procured 
from foreign parts, yet they should 
think it unwise to rest in any great 
degree upon the hope that such 
supplies can cover a large propor- 
tion of the defieiency. . Your com- 
mittee would feel great regret in 
stating this to the house, if they 
were not also of opinion, upon the 
fullest consideration, that the coun- 
try possesses other resources, both 
more extensive and more secure, in 
an economical use of ‘the stock of 
wheat in the kingdom, and in the 
abundant crops of -barley, of oats, 
and of potatoes. xe 
_Itis obvious, that there must be 
a very numerous class of families, 
where, in times of ordinary plenty, 
the consumption of wheaten bread 
and of flour is by no means an ob- 
ject of stri& regulation and atten- 
tion ; and it can be as little doubt- 
ed, that, under such a pressure as 
the present, an important reduction 
might be effected in this respect, 
without diminishing, in any de- 
gree, the quantity necessary for 
subsistence. It is also to be re- 
marked, that the consumption of 
this class of persons and their fami- 
lies, together with another class, 
far more extensive, consists in a 
Jarge proportion of other articles 
than bread, and that the situa- 
tion of those classes may enable 
them, as circumstances require, to 
augment in some degree that pro- 
portion, and thereby to leave a 
larger share of the stock of wheat 
to those for whose subsistence it is 
more immediately essential. 
The reduétion of the consump- 
tion of wheat may be considerably 
aided amongst this description of 
persons, 2nd, in a great degree, ex- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1706. 
tended to all classes of the people; 
if they can be induced to employ 
the other resource to which your 
‘committee have referred, and to 
avail themselves of the abundance 
of other crops to supply the defici- 
ency of wheat. 
For the purpose of ascertaining 
in what proportion the articles be_ 
fore enumerated, and others, could 
be mixed with wheat, so as to pro- 
dace a bread likely to answer the 
purposes of general consumption, 
your committee have examined the 
result of a variety of experiments, 
made by the vitualling office, unt 
der the direction of the privy 
council, and ordered to be com. 
municated to them; and of further 
experiments, since made by the 
same office, under the direction of 
your committee; and. have been 
also assisted by the Board of Agri- 
culture, who have communicated 
to them an account of trials made 
with a still greater variety of mix. 
tures, Your committee see no rea. 
son to doubt that good bread may 
be made from any of these mix- 
tures, with no greater proportion 
than three-fifths or two-thirds of 
wheaten flour ; and there is the best 
reason for concluding that such © 
wholesome and _ 
nutritive, because in many parts — 
of this country, where labour and | 
industry are carried to as great an 
bread would be 
extent as in any other, the people 
are wholly fed by bread made of | 
some one or more of the compon. 
ent parts of these mixtures. Your 
committee are further encouraged © 
in this opinion, by finding, that in 
the course of the last season, the 
use of mixed bread of various kinds | 
has been introduced .into’ general” 
consumption in many places whose 
consumption was betore confined | 
te 
os 
