for feeding lean and fattening other Stock. 301 



various experiments I made, withoat being at the expense 

 and very great pains I was at, be'fbre I could bring it to bear 

 in its present form. I had not the most distant idea of 

 using digesters at the onset of the business ; neither had f , 

 nor have I, any interested motive in view, either for myself 

 or any other person, or indeed any motive than the benefit 

 the public might derive from it. I have deemed it neces- 

 sary and proper, both out of respect to the earl of Egremont 

 and myself, to make the above declaration avvd remark on 

 this occasion. The following experiment was made, for 

 the earl of Egremont, to ascertain the quantity of fuel, &c. 

 as per date. 



**■ At Burton Park, 21st of May 1803, three bushels of 

 potatoes were weighed separately (each bushel weighing 

 sixty pounds) before they were put into the six digesters. 

 The potatoes from the two first digesters, taken out of the 

 oven when baked, and weighed together, were fifty-five 

 pounds; those from the two next were fifty-four pounds; 

 and those from the third two were fifty-four pounds. ThS 

 carpenter measured the wood with which they were baked; 

 and he tells me, that a cord, or stack of good firewood well 

 piled (that is, wood cut into three-feet lengths, and piled 

 twenty-four feet in length and one foot ten inches in height, 

 and which is sold in this neighbourhood for 12i.) v^ill bake 

 ninety sets, or ninety times six digesters full of potatoes, at 

 the rate of wood it took to bake the above six, which was 

 the second set that day. A cast iron plate, five feet in 

 length, instead of three feet ten inches by two feet ten 

 inches, will hold eight digesters, and by adding a small 

 fire, thus. 



3 



6 inches 



7 inclies 



inches 

 3 



on each side of the great fire-place, will, in my opinion, 

 accelerate the baking from fifteen to twenty minutes in 

 every set, as well as be some saving in fuel ; because the 

 side digesters generally take that time longer than the centre 

 one. The merit of this process does not consist in slow 

 simmering; for, tlie quicker the potatoes are done, provided 

 proper attention is paid to them, the better. With the four 

 following observations adhered to, any person may exercise 

 his own judgment, and indulge his own information and 

 fancy in erecting his oven, whether it be for a greater or 

 smaller number of digesters, and according to the quantity 

 of potatoes) he may wisli to bake. 



*' 1st, 



