470 Of Food. 



insurance i^. ^d., which, added to the prime cost of the 

 corn in America (2^-. (id. per bushel in the time of 

 peace, and 36-. 6d. at this time), will bring it to 3^. lod. 

 per bushel in time of peace, and 4^. \od. at this present 

 moment, 



A bushel of Indian corn of the growth of New Eng- 

 land was found to weigh 61 lbs. ; but we will suppose 

 it to weigh at a medium only 60 lbs. per bushel, and 

 we will also suppose that to each bushel of corn when 

 ground there is 9 lbs. of bran, which is surely a very 

 large allowance, and i lb. of waste in grinding and 

 sifting : this will leave 50 lbs. of flour for each bushel 

 of the corn ; and as it will cost, in time of peace, only 

 ■^s. \od. or 46 pence, this gives for each pound of flour 

 If of a penny, or 3I farthings very nearly. 



If the price of the Indian corn per bushel be taken 

 at 4J-. lo^'., what it ought to cost at this time in Lon- 

 don, without any bounty on importation being brought 

 into the account, the price of the flour will be ^s. lod., 

 equal to 58 pence for 50 lbs. in weight, or i\ penny 

 the pound, which is less than one third of the pres- 

 ent price of wheat-flour. Rice, which is certainly not 

 more nourishing than Indian corn, costs 4I- pence the 

 pound. 



If iV of the value of Indian corn be added to defray 

 the expense of grinding it, the price of the flour will 

 not even then be greater in London than one pe^my 

 the pound in time of peace, and about one penny far- 

 thing at the present high price of that grain in North 

 America. Hence it appears that, in stating the mean 

 price in London of the flour of Indian corn at one 

 penny far iking, I have rather rated it too high than 

 too low. 



