On Dry Leaven. 429 



this character. They usually attracted water from the 

 atmosphere, and became liquid. This was no objec- 

 tion. But the scantiness of the gas extricated during 

 the baking-process, was an objection, where the alkali 

 was small in quantity ; and its disagreeable taste was 

 an additional objection, where the quantity was large. 

 Under such circumstances, it was expected that sci- 

 ence would step forward, to the relief of the domestic 

 arts. From chemistry, more especially, some nice 

 and well-adapted project was confidently hoped. To 

 men of learning and experiment, the followers of the 

 trades and arts looked for a dry and portable substance, 

 that should quickly be capable, like leaven and yeast, 

 of yielding a plenty of carbonic acid. 



But while the wise and enlightened were pondering 

 upon the subject, under an utter inability to direct how 

 the thing ought to be done, a series of fortunate acci- 

 dents led to the discovery of a leaven or yeast durable 

 to keep, and ready to ferment. 



This composition became knovv^i to the New-York- 

 ers, in the first instance, through the emigrants from 

 the eastern states. Some of these persons who la- 

 boured on the turnpike roads, in Orange county, were 

 observed to possess an efficacious method of preparing 

 their own bread, by means of mealy lumps or pallets 

 of dough, dried to hardness. These they carried with 

 them in a bag or box. With the single precaution of 

 guarding against humidity, these sons of toil and thrift, 

 could preserve their stock of dried yeast, for an inde- 

 finite time. It was found by the neighbouring inhabi- 

 tants, to be so valuable, that they too learned the art 

 of manufacturing an article, csiUed since by them, in 



