300 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



a long lecture, had I not learnt to respect my 

 elders. 



I must now say good bye, and subscribe myself, 

 Your faithful and trusty 



Fino. 

 TottenJiam, 



May 12, 1853. 



MORE " CURIOUS FACTS." 



BREAD,- NEW AND STALE. 



M. Boussingault avers that the change of con- 

 dition in bread, known by the terms " new " and 

 " stale," is usually attributed to loss of moisture ; 

 and that the presumed greater nutritive qualities 

 of stale over new bread are due to the greater 

 weight of nourishment contained in the former 

 than in the latter. He also tells us plainly that 

 the crispest and nicest crust becomes tough and 

 leathery by mere keeping, whilst the soft part or 

 crumb as readily loses its springy flexibility, 

 becoming erumbly under the same circumstances. 



Now it is this change of the crumb of bread 

 with which we have to do ; for there can be no 

 doubt that the change in the crust, from crispness 

 to toughness, is wholly due to the absorption of 

 water, chiefly yielded by the soft crumb, but 

 sometimes in part from a damp external atmosphere. 

 M. Boussingault fairly instances the return of stale 

 bread to the condition of new, on being again put 

 into the oven or toasted, when stale bread itself 

 parts with water, as good and sufficient evidence 

 against the supposition that staleness is due to des- 

 sication. Various experiments have been made with 

 bread under diverse conditions ; from the chief of 

 which it appears that a loaf just drawn from the 

 oven requires the lapse of about twenty-four hours 

 to fall to the temperature of the surrounding air, 

 when it became what is termed " half-stale," the 

 loss of weight from evaporation of water being 

 0'008 per cent.; this loss amounting to 01 per 

 cent, when the loaf was a week old and very stale. 

 Other experiments demonstrate a fact well 

 known to good housekeepers,-that stale bread may 

 be made to assume the condition of new bread by 

 merely heating it for an almost indefinite number 

 of times ; that is, until it is has actually been dried 

 up ; and they also show that this return to the 

 " new " condition may be effected at 120° to 150Q 

 Fahr. From a consideration of these circum- 

 stances, M. Boussingault inclines to the belief 

 that, during the cooling of bread, a special molecu- 

 lar state is induced, which is developed to its full 

 extent when the bread becomes very stale ; it con- 

 tinuing in this special molecular condition whilst 

 the temperature remains below a certain point. 

 However, when re-heated above this point, it 

 reassumes its primary molecular condition as 

 V new " bread. 



Change of molecular condition may be familiarly 

 illustrated by the melting of crystalline sugar at a 

 comparatively high temperature into a transparent 

 liquid, which may be moulded at discretion ; 

 becoming a transparent solid, barley-sugar, on 

 cooling. By the lapse of time a molecular change 

 is set up, and the barley-sugar becomes opaque 

 and gradually returns to its original state of 

 crystalline sugar. 



M. Thenard somewhat inclines to the opinion 

 that bread is a hydrated body, softening by heat 

 and solidifying by cold — an opinion wholly unten- 

 able, the molecular change advocated by M. 

 Boussingault being both probable and consistent 

 with observation. 



WEATHER WISDOM. 



The perplexity even shrewd guessers of the 

 weather often labor under, as to whether an um- 

 brella should be exchanged for a walking-stick, or 

 an extra coat be taken for the journey — must ren- 

 der this branch of information extremely useful. 

 By attending to a few simple rules, drawn from na- 

 ture and confirmed by experience, the veriest tyro 

 in meteorology may predict with accuracy the pro- 

 bable changes of the weather from day to day. 



Dew. — If, after one fair day, the dew lies 

 plentifully on the grass, it is a sign of another. If 

 not, and there is no wind, rain must follow. A 

 red sunset, without clouds, indicates a doubt of 

 fair weather ; but after a red sunset in clouds a 

 fine day may be expected. A watery sunset, 

 diverging rays of light — either direct from the sun, 

 or behind a bank of clouds, is indicative of rain. 



Clouds. — When the clouds increase very fast, — 

 and accumulate huge masses of vapor, much rain, 

 and, in the summer time, thunder will follow. 

 When the clouds are formed like fleeces, but dense 

 in the middle and bright towards the edge, with 

 the sky clear, they are signs of a sharp frost, with 

 hail, snow, or rain. When the clouds (cirri) are 

 formed like feathers, and appear in thin white 

 trains, they indicate wind. When formed into 

 horizontal sheets, with streamers pointing upwards, 

 rain is prognosticated, — but with depending, fringe- 

 like fibres it is found to precede fair weather. 

 When a general cloudiness covers the sky, — and 

 small black fragments of clouds fly underneath, 

 wet weather will follow ; and probably of long 

 continuance. Two currents of clouds always 

 portend rain ; and in summer, thunder. 



Plants. — These are truly the barometers of 

 Nature, and are most faithful in their indications. 

 Chickweed forms of itself an excellent criterion. 

 When the flower expands fully, rain will not fall 

 for many hours ; and should it continue expanded, 

 no rain will disturb the summer's day. When 

 it half conceals its diminutive flower, the day will 

 be showery ; but when it entirely shuts up, or 

 veils the white flower with its green mantle, then 

 let the traveller provide an umbrella and top-coat, 

 for the rain will be lasting. 



If the Siberian sowthistle shuts at night, the 

 following day will be fine. If it remain open, 

 rain will ensue. If the African marigold continues 

 shut in the morning, long after its usual time for 

 opening, rain is approaching ; and the convolvulus, 

 tulip, bindweeds, scarlet-pimpernel and all the 

 different species of trefoil, contract their leaves on 

 the approach of a storm or wet weather. 



NATURE'S LOVE-KNOT. 



True hearts by secret sympathy are tied, 

 For loving souls in Nature are allied ; 

 Absence may part them for a little while, 

 Yet shsll they meet ; and then, — how sweef their 

 smile ! 



