38 TRACTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, &c. 



of the " solid noiirisliment" contained in 1600 barrels of flour 

 might be obtained in Potatoes, from thirty-three acres of this 

 island, and admitting the rent, and the labour in cultivating the 

 two crops annually, at even 30 pounds per acre, which is a very 

 large sum, and particularly when the plough management is 

 introduced, that for nine hundred and ninety pounds sterling, 

 there might be raised of wholesome nourishing food, a substitute 

 or equivalent, for what costs when brought to this island, more 

 than ten thousand pounds sterling ! Sixteen hundred casks of 

 flour, at 370 pounds each, contain 692,000 pounds, and thirty- 

 three acres oi Potatoes at 36,000 pounds per annum, would be 

 1,188,000, the half of which being 594,000 pounds, is " the solid 

 nourishment," according to Doctor Adam Smith : which is even 

 more than that contained in the above number of casks of flour. 



Mr. Parmentier found, from a number of experiments, that 

 good bread might be made from equal quantities of flour and 

 potatoes. No doubt, two thirds of flour to one third of potatoes 

 would be better : and some of this sort made here by a neighbour 

 who well understands the comforts and good things of this life, 

 was superior to any bread I ever tasted on this island. I would 

 recommend a trial to the St. Helena bakers ; they would find by 

 this mixture that the bread has a fresher taste, and that it has 

 the property of keeping better than that which is made of the 

 flour imported from England : besides, by making flour go farther, 

 they could aftbrd to dispose of bread at a cheaper rate than that 

 made wholly from flour. 



I trust that these remarks will stimulate our landholders to their 

 own interests, and that we shall soon have at least an hundred 

 acres of potatoes added to the present cultivation. By this I do not 

 mean to exclude the use of flour, but I am fully persuaded, that 

 the advantage and convenience arising even from this addition in 



