881 



might be arrived at upon the investigations made by high established 

 authorities. It had been stated in his essays that one acre of ground 

 cultivated with wheat would produce an average of 1,055 lbs. of dry 

 matter, while a similar extent with potatoes would produce 4,076 lbs., 

 the quantity of nutritious material being — 



These results had been taken from data given by Sir Robert Kane, 

 in his ' Industrial Resources of Ireland,' page 300, in which it is 

 stated, " The following table, collected from the best authorities, ex- 

 hibits the quantity of actual nutritious material usually derived from 

 an acre of ground : — 



Mr. Rogers begged it might be borne in mind that the authorities 

 alluded to made their experiments before the appearance of the pota- 

 to-disease, and observed that, in addition, it would be found in Wake- 

 field's publications-^and his experience was most considerable as an 

 English agriculturist — per statute acre in Ireland was, in 1812, 

 wheat, average, 1,300 lbs. ; maximum, 4,200 lbs. Potatoes, average, 

 13,669 lbs. ; maximum, 72,100 lbs. Divide the quantity of potatoes 

 by four, and it would give the actual dry material ; the nutritious 

 matter, therefore, was — the average, 3,417 lbs.; the maximum, 

 18,025 lbs. ; while of wheat (bran and pollards included) the average 

 was but 1,300 lbs.; the maximum, 4,200 lbs. Consequently, the 

 maximum quantity of nutritious material of potato is, according to 

 Wakefield, about 4^ times as much as the maximum weight of wheat 

 unground. Professor Solly gives — wheat, the average, 1,680 lbs. ; po- 

 tatoes, 17,920 lbs. ; Professor Lowe gives — wheat, the average, 1,380 

 lbs. ; potatoes, the average, 17,920 lbs. Professor Johnstone — wheat, 

 the average, 1,440 lbs.; the maximum, 4,200 lbs.; potatoes, the ave- 



