Chap. VII.] Potatoes. 161 



been fatted upon com or meal, in whole or in part. 

 Yes, Sir, potatoes will do very well along with plenty 

 of animal food, which has been fatted on something bet- 

 ter than potatoes. But, when you and I talk of the 

 use of them, we must consider them in a very different 

 light. 



274. The notion is, that potatoes are cheaper than 

 M heat flour. This >vord cheap is not quite, expressive 

 enough, but it Avill do for our present purpose. I shall 

 consider the cost of potatoes, in a family, compared with 

 that of flour. It -will be best to take the simple case of 

 the labouring man. 



275. The price of a bushel of fine flour, at Botley, 

 is, at this time, 10a-. The weight is 56lbs. The price 

 of a bushel of potatoes is 2*. 6d. They are just now 

 diig up, and are at the cheapest. A bushel of potatoes 

 which are measured by a large bushel, weighs about 

 601bs. dirt and all, for they are sold unwashed. [Allow 

 41bs. for dirt, and the weights are equal. Well, then, 

 here is toiling Dick M-ith his four bushels of potatoes, 

 and Jolm with his bushel of flour. But, to be fair, I 

 must allow, that the relative price is not alM'ays so 

 much in fovour of flour. Yet, I think you will agree 

 with me, that upon an average, fife bushels of potatoes 

 do cost as much as one bushel of flour. You know 

 very well, that potatoes in London, sell for Id. and 

 sometimes for 2d. a pound ; that is to say, sometimes 

 for 1/. 7s. 6d. and sometimes for 21. 15s. the five bushels. 

 This is notorious. Every reader knows it. And did 

 you ever hear of a bushel of flour selling for 21. 1.5«. 

 Monstrous to think of! And yet the tradesman's Avife, 

 looking narrowly to every halfpeimy, trudges away to 

 the potatoe shop to get five or six pounds of this wTCtch- 

 ed root for the purpose oi savimj Jlour ! She goes and 

 gives 10(/. for ten pounds of potatoes, when she might 

 buy five pounds of flour with the same money ! Belbre 

 her potatoes come to the table, they are, even in bulk, 

 less than 5lbs. or even 31bs. of flour made into a pud- 

 ding. Try the experiment yourself Sir, and you 

 will soon be able to appreciate the economy of this 

 darae. 



