POTATOES 



life-less, pot-bellied boy peeping out at a cottage door, where I 

 ought to meet with health and vigour, I cannot help cursing the 

 fashion, which has given such general use to this root, as food for 

 man. However, I must say, that the chief ground of my antipathy 

 to this root is, that it tends to debase the common people, as every 

 thing does, which brings their mode of living to be nearer that of 

 cattle. The man and his pig, in the potatoe system, live pretty 

 much upon the same diet, and eat nearly in the same manner, and 

 out of nearly the same utensil. The same eternally-boiling pot 

 cooks their common mess. Man, being master, sits at the first 

 table ; but, if his fellow-feeder comes after him, he will not fatten, 

 though he will live upon the same diet. Mr. CURWEN found 

 potatoes to supply the place of hay, being first well cooked : but, 

 they did not supply the place of oats ; and yet fashion has made 

 people believe, that they are capable of supplying the place of 

 bread ! It is notorious, that nothing will fatten on potatoes alone 

 Carrots, parsnips, cabbages, will, in time, fatten sheep and oxen, 

 and, some of them, pigs ; but, upon potatoes alone, no animal that 

 I ever heard of will fatten. And yet, the greater part, and, 

 indeed, all the other roots and plants here mentioned, will yield, 

 upon ground of the same quality, three or four times as heavy a 

 crop as potatoes, and will, too, for a long while, set the frosts at 

 defiance. 



284. If, Sir, you do me the honour to read this latter, I shall 

 have taken up a good deal of your time ; but the subject is one of 

 much importance in rural economy, and therefore, cannot be 

 wholly uninteresting to you. I will not assume the sham modesty 

 to suppose, that my manner of treating it makes me unworthy 

 of an answer ; and, I must confess, that I shall be disappointed 

 unless you make a serious attempt to proqe to me, that I am in 

 error. ~&quot; 



I am, Sir, 

 Your most obedient, 



And most humble Servant, 



WM. COBBETT. 



285. Now, observe, I never received any answer to this. Much 

 abuse. New torrents of abuse : and, in language still more 

 venomous than the former ; for now the Milton and Shakespear 

 men, the critical Parsons, took up the pen ; and, when you have 

 an angry Priest for adversary, it is not the common viper, but the 

 rattle-snake that you have to guard against. However, as no 

 one put his name to what he wrote, my remarks went on producing 

 their effect ; and a very considerable effect they had. 



286. About the same time Mr. TIMOTHY BROWN of Peckham 

 Lodge, who is one of the most understanding and most worthy 

 men I ever had the honour to be acquainted with, furnished me 



