96 



farm near Hull, estimates tlie expense of the cultivation of 

 chicory there at 4Z. 5s. 6d. per acre, and if we add to this 

 21. 10s. for rent, manure, &c., it gives 6Z. 15s. 6d. The pro- 

 duce on suitable land he states to be from 8 to 12 tons per 

 acre, and it requires 4 tons of green root to make 1 ton of 

 dried. In the dried state the root is worth from 12?. to 24Z. 

 per ton. Take 10 tons per acre, at 21. 10s. per ton, and this 

 would leave a profit per acre of 18Z. 4<s. Gd. 



Another competent agricultural authority states that the 

 price of 2^ tons of dry root for the acre, at 121. per ton, 

 would be 27Z. ; deducting 71. for rent, labour, and other ex- 

 penses, this would leave a profit of 201. per acre. 



The roots are cut into small pieces of about half-inch or 

 three-quarter inch lengths by a turnip-cutter, or by hand, the 

 object being to have the pieces of as uniform a size as pos- 

 sible. The slices are then dried in a kiln : this process wasting 

 the chicory from 75 to 80 per cent. It is then marketable, 

 and is usually sold to the drysalters and grocers, who roast 

 and grind it as they do coffee. In the ground state it may 

 be kept for years, but it soon cakes. The roasted root is 

 emptied into iron vessels, and, after cooling, is crushed in 

 vertical stone mills, or between iron cylinders. 



The dried roots cut are roasted in this country like coffee. 

 The loss during roasting is from 25 to 30 per cent. The 

 roasters generally introduce into the roasting machine about 

 2 Ibs. of lard for every cwt. of chicory. Some say this is to 

 give the chicory a better face, others state that it renders the 

 powder less hygrornetric. Inferior kinds of chicory are alleged 

 to be coloured with Venetian red. 



Chicory is occasionally adulterated with roasted pulse 

 (called Hambro' powder), damaged corn, and coffee husks 

 (" coffee flights," as they are technically termed). "We 

 have also heard of parsnips having been roasted, ground, 

 and mixed with chicory. Dr. Hassall gives a long list of 



