859 



here exhibited whole meal, meal, inferior flour, and first flour, made 

 from diseased potatoes, by the paupers of the South Union of Dublin, 

 which were examined and tasted with much interest and curiosity, 

 by the gentlemen composing the meeting. The meal had all the ap- 

 pearance of that made of oats and peas, and the flour was as white 

 and fine as that produced fi-om wheat.) 



Dr. BossEY asked Mr. Rogers, could it be possible that the potato 

 contained one-seventh of gluten ? 



Mr. Rogers replied, that the tables which he had given were com- 

 piled by Sir Robert Kane, and from all the leading French chemists, 

 who understand infinitely more of the potato than we do ourselves ; 

 that he did not wish the meeting to depend at all on his ipse dixit, but 

 that they would find, in addition to those authorities, that the analysis 

 subsequently made by the Potato Commissioners, also by Professor 

 Johnson and by Mr. Fromberg, all agreed as to the quantity of gluten, 

 or more properly speaking, " protean compound," which was actually 

 in the potato. 



Dr. Ayres was of opinion that the quantity of gluten stated by Mr. 

 Rogers could not exist in the potato, inasmuch as there was such a 

 quantity of aqueous matter in it as 75 per cent. His opinion was, 

 that the " nitrogenous " matter in the potato was much less than in 

 wheat ; and he was also of opinion, that there was much less of nitro- 

 genous matter in the potato than in peas, beans, or barley. 



The Chairman. — What are the proportions, Mr. Rogers, of gluten 

 in wheat and in the potato ? 



Mr. Rogers. — About 14 per cent, of gluten in the dry matter of the 

 potato, and about l/g- per cent, in the dry matter of the wheat. 



The Chairman. — What is the quantity of dry matter contained in 

 the potato ? 



Mr. Rogers replied, that the average was 25 per cent., or one- 

 fourth. 



The Chairman. — Have you taken into consideration the quantity 

 of wheat and potatoes produced in a given quantity of land ? 



Mr. Rogers was glad the Chairman had asked him that question, 

 as it afforded him the opportunity to state an interesting fact. His 

 calculations were made according to the experience of the French 

 chemists, who took the average of about nine tons of potatoes per acre ; 

 while it was a fact now well known that above thirty tons of potatoes 

 had been frequently produced from the Irish acre, when properly cul- 

 tivated. 



