68 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



unforeseen casualty, must, of necessity, compel them to resort to 

 charity, or to descend to a coarser diet, and exchange the habits 

 of an English for those of an Irish peasant.&quot; * 



* The condition of living among 1 the poor agricultural laborers may, perhaps^ 

 find some strong illustrations in the subjoined note, which is for those only to 

 read who take an interest in so humble a subject : 



&quot; A poor man can seldom afford to purchase even the coarsest joint of mutton ; 

 but if he lives near a town, he can often get the stoop s head and pluck for less 

 than 1 s. 6 d., indeed very frequently for a shilling ; and with these his wife can 

 make up/our hot meals. These substantial and truly savory meals may be eaten 

 with potatoes only, as bread is not necessary. 



&quot; No instruction is necessary for the making of pies and puddings,&quot; (that is, 

 because the laborer is never expected to have them,) &quot; whether of fruit or meat ; 

 but we may just remark that a meat-pudding (when a laborer can afford it) is one 

 of the most substantial and savory dishes that can be brought to a hungry man s 

 table ; and if, instead of putting pie-crust over the meat, you cover it with mashed 

 potatoes, and put it either into the oven or bake it by the side of the fire, it 

 will answer quite as well as paste. In Cornwall, there is a common practice, 

 among those cottagers who bake at home, of making little pasties for the din 

 ners of those who may be working at a distance in the fields. They will last 

 the whole week, and are made of any kind of meat or fruit, rolled up in a paste 

 made of flour and suet or lard. A couple of ounces of bacon, and Ib. of raw 

 potatoes, both thinly sliced and slightly seasoned, will be found sufficient for the 

 meal ; the pasty can be carried in the man s pocket, but it costs 4 d., as 

 thus : 



h Ib. of flour, Id. 



Suet or lard, Id. 



Potatoes, Oid. 



i Ib. of bacon, 1| d. 



&quot; Oatmeal is a frequent diet of the Scotch and Irish peasantry. The prepara 

 tion is simply to put a handful at a time gradually into a pot of warm water, and 

 a little salt, simmering it over the fire and keeping it stirred with the other hand, 

 until it becomes as thick as a pudding; or in about ten minutes time. It may 

 then be eaten with a little treacle, or with a piece of butter put into the centre ; 

 but the better way is to eat it with cold milk, taking a spoonful of the stirabout 

 with a mouthful of the milk ; for if boiled in milk, it is not near so good. Fine 

 meal does not answer the purpose, and the coarse ground Scotch oatmeal is 

 the best. Now, about half a pound of this, along with three pints of milk, will 

 make a substantial and a very wholesome breakfast or supper for the family. It is 

 indeed a hearty food ; and the cottager, who seeks to support his wife and chil 

 dren both frugally and healthfully, should never be without it. The price in 

 London is 4 d. per quart, and the quart weighs nearly 1| Ib. ; so, supposing the 

 milk to be bought at 1 d. the quart, three good meals can thus be got for 8 d. 



Potatoes will ever be the peasant s standard vegetable ; for, if of good mealy 

 quality, they contain more nutriment than any other root ; and three or four 



