42 MAK-1XG BKr.AD. [>,>>. 



dence, glad to find, thu Mr. Eoxvvnn WAKEFIELD, 

 the best informed and most cnndid ot' all the wit- 

 nesses, gave it as hii opinion, that the increase which 

 had taken place iu the cultivation of potatoes was 

 "injurious to the o lion which must, I 



think, be adopted by every one who fakes the trouble 

 to reflect a little upon the subject. For leaving out of 

 the question the sli habits en. 



dered amount the labou; ;a by constantly lift- 



ing their prinnpal food at once out of the earth to 

 their mouths by eating \vithout the necessity of any 

 implements other than the hands and the teeth, ancl 

 by dispensing with everything requiring skill in the 

 preparation of the loud, and requiring cleanliness in 

 its consumption or ; on ; leaving these out of 



the question, though they are all matter- of great mo- 

 ment, when we consider their effects in the rearing of 

 a family, we shall find. that, in mere quantity, of food, 

 that is to say of nourish went, bread is the preferable d iet. 

 79. An acre of land that will produce 300 bushels 

 of potatoes, will produce 32 bushels of wheat. I s- 

 this as an average fan. and am not at all afraid of 

 being contradicted by any one well acquainted with 

 husbandry. The potatoesare supposed tobeof a good 

 sort, as it is called, and the wheat may be supposed to 

 :h 60 pounds a bushel. It is a fact clearly estab 

 liMied. that, after the irntcr. the stringy substance, and 

 the earth, are taken from the potatoe, there remains 

 only one tenth of the rou^h raw weight of nutritious 

 matter, or matter which is deemed equally nutritious 

 with bread, and, as the raw potatoes weigh 561b. a 

 bushel, the acre will yield l,301b. of nutritious mat- 

 ter. Now mind, a bushel of wheat, weighing 601b. 

 will make of household bread (that is to say. taking 

 out only the bran) 65lb. Thus, the acre yields 

 2,0801b. of bread. As to the e.rjw ;<*<'*. the seed and 

 act of planting are about equal in the two cases. Hut. 

 while the potatoes must have cultivation during their 

 growth, the wheat needs none ; and while the wheat 

 straw is worth from three to five pounds an acre, the 

 haulm of the potatoes i< not worth one single tru* 



