PROCEEDLXGS OF THE FARMERS CLUB. 28d 



" Ginger" is often made of similar ingredients, with the addition 

 af some of tlie original article to give it taste and smell. 



" Ground pepper " is frequently? made of pilot-bread, burnt in 

 the baking or damaged by a long voyage — and there is one firm 

 in this city engaged in buying this refuse stuff from ships, and 

 selling it again as " pepper," after a sufficient amount of the 

 " genuine " is mixed with it to ^^ swear by." To guard against 

 these impositions (or one of them), we propose to re-establish 

 the good old coffee-mill. It will prove a better guard against the 

 grocers than an army of policemen ; and if you are fond of pro- 

 longing morning reveries, what could be a more agreeable 

 reminder of getting up time than the coffee-mill ? 



The newspapers are now freely discussing substitutes for 

 coffee. Buriit rye, wheat, barley, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, 

 acorns, burnt bread — each has its advocate, and all may answer 

 for those who, with limited sensibilities, know not what coffee is. 



Not one of these articles will make coffee, and if their merit is 

 being cheap, water is cheaper. 



The seeds and roots of many West India and South American 

 plants have been introduced as substitutes for coffeee. The only 

 one Ave have time to notice is the " succory," " chickory," or wild 

 endive — a weed with large pale blue flowers, and having a white 

 tap-root, like the parsnip or oyster plant. This root abounds in 

 a bitter juice, which has led to its use as a subsitute for coffee. 

 It is found to be much improved by cultivation, and is now so 

 much used as to l^ave become an important crop. You may find 

 it growing in some of the counties of England, but much more 

 in Prussia, Belgium and France. It is grown also in parts of 

 South America, and its cultivation is beijig introduced into our 

 own country, especially on Long Island. This root, when dried, 

 roasted and ground, so exactly resembles genuine coffee as to be 

 a first rate article for adulterating jjurposes, and has now been 

 used so long in that way, as to have created a taste, and there 

 are many people who think they have been cheated if their coffee 

 has not the flavor given to it by chickory. They have become 

 educated to like a bitter coffee. It is now estimated that France 

 uses annually twelve millions of pounds ; and in some parts of 

 Germany the women are becoming regular chickory-topers. 



Some of the ingredients of this Aveed bear a partial resem- 

 blance to those of tea and coffee ; but when taken unmixed, by 

 those unaccustomed to it, it is disagreeable and nauseous to a 



