Method ()f economising Time at Breakfast. 4:35 



Art. VII. On a Method of keeping Food voarm, so that a "working 

 Gardener may lose as little Time as possible at Breakfast. By 

 Mr. Peter Mackenzie, Gardener to Robert Lowis, Esq., of 

 Wester Plean. 



Sir, 



When I worked in the nursery of Messrs. Drummond and 

 Sons, at Stirling, I had about two miles to walk from the 

 place where I resided to the nursery ; and most of my break- 

 fast-hour was spent in going to and coming from breakfast, 

 which I always considered a great loss of time. About the 

 same period, I attended a course of lectures on chemistry, 

 delivered to the members of the Stirling School of Arts; 

 and I there learned that hot water, kept in a metallic vessel 

 with a bright surface, retained its heat longer than it would 

 in one of a dull appearance; I likewise learned that flannel 

 was a bad conductor of caloric : and an idea entered my mind 

 that I could turn this to my advantage. 



I got two tin cans ; the one going within the other, and the 

 inner one having no handle. When put together, there was 

 a vacuity of about an inch between them. The space at 

 the bottom I filled with folds of flannel ; rolling other folds, 

 to about the same thickness, round the outside of the inner 

 can, into which was poured the " halesome parritch." The 

 inner lid, which should be flat, without any handle, was then 

 put on ; above it I laid folds of flannel similar to those in the 

 bottom, and then put the outer lid over all. When I arrived 

 at the nursery, the pitchers were buried among straw in the 

 cart-sheds, and remained there till nine o'clock ; at which 

 time I found my breakfast warm and comfortable, after hav- 

 ing been cooked four hours, and carried two miles through 

 an atmosphere often below the freezing point. In five minutes 

 my cog [can] was cleared ; and I had then fifty or fifty-five 

 minutes to partake of a breakfast of another nature : which 

 sometimes consisted of a slice from Loudon, or Smith, or 

 Hooker ; or a wander round the loch ; or a clamber among 

 the crags, observing the harbingers of spring with delight, 

 and hailing with rapture the new-born floret. 



This shows what may be done by those who are placed in 

 similar circumstances ; and how those who are willing to 

 improve themselves may, by adopting similar means, soon 

 find themselves in possession of knowledge of which they 

 may justly be proud. 



I am. Sir, yours, &c. 



Peter Mackenzie. 

 Stirlingshire, April 26. 1833. 



