Cha^. VII.] Potatoes'. " 1 63 



amount is more than would purchase four bushels of- 

 flour, which would make 288 lbs. of bread, which at' 

 7 lbs. of bread a dav, would keep John's family in bread 

 for 41 days out of the 365. This I state as a fact 

 challeTi2,ing contradiction, that, exclusive of the extra 

 labour, occasioned by the cookery of potatoes, the fori 

 required, in a year, for a bread diet, would cost, in 

 any part of the kinf!;dom, more than Mould keep a fa- 

 mily, even in baker's bread for 41 days in the year, at 

 the rate of 71 lbs. of bread a day. 



277. John, on the contrary, lies and sleeps on Sun- 

 day morning 'till about 7 o'clock. He then gets a bit 

 of bread and meat, or cheese, if he has either. The 

 mill gives him his bushel of flour in a few minutes. 

 His wfe has baked during the week. He has a pud- 

 ding on Sunday, and another batch of bread, before 

 the next Sunday. The moment he is up, he is off to 

 his stable, or the field, or the coppice. His breakfast 

 and luncheon are in his bag. In s])ite of frost he finds 

 them safe and sound. They give him heart, and ena- 

 ble him to so through the day. His 56 lbs. of flour, 

 with the aid of 2r/. in yeast, bring him 72 lbs. of bread ; 

 while, after the dirt and peelings and waste are de- 

 ducted, it is very doubtful whether Dick's 300 lbs. of 

 potatoes bring 200 lbs. of even this watery diet to 

 his lips. It is notorious, that in a pound of clean pota- 

 toes there are 11 ounces of water, half an ounce of 

 earthy matter, an ounce of Jibrons and strawey stuff, 

 and I know not what besides. The water can do Dick 

 no good, but he must swallow these 11 ounces of water 

 in every pound of potatoes. Hoav fl\r earth and straxa 

 may tend to fatten or strengthen cunnin": Dick, I do 

 not know ; but, at any rate, it is certain, that, while he' 

 is eating as much of potatoe as is equal in nutriment to 

 lib. of bread, he must swallow about 14oz. of water, 

 earth, straw, &c. for, dowTi they must go altogether, 

 like the Parliament's bread in the years of Avisdom, 

 1800 and 1001. But, suppose every pound of pota- 

 toes to bring into Dick's stomach a 6th part in nutri- 

 tious matter, including in the gross pound all the dirt, 

 eyes, peeling, and other inevitable Avastc. Divide his 



