PULSE. 



313 



peas are ground in a mill and then pressed, in a somewliat com- 

 plicated, though, as usual in China, a most efficient press, by 

 means of wedges driven under the outer parts of the framework 

 with mallets. The oil is used both for eating and burning, more 

 for the latter purpose, however, and the cake, like large Gloucester 

 cheese, or small grindstones in circular shape, is distributed about 

 China in every direction, both as food for pigs and buffaloes, as 

 also for manure. 



We import on the average about 20,000 quarters of beans, peas, 

 &c., from Ireland, 450,000 quarters of beans and 200,000 quarters 

 of peas from foreign countries. 



The land under cultivation with pulse, and the crops raised, have 

 been estimated as follows : — 



Acres. Qiiarters. 

 England . . . 500,000 . . 1,875,000 



Ireland . . . 130,000 . . 540,000 



Scotland . . . 50,000 . . 150,000 



680,000 2,565,000 



This is of course exclusive of garden cultivation. The average 

 produce of beans per acre in England is 3f quarters, 3| in Ire- 

 land, and three in Scotland, 



The price of beans per quarter in the last ten years has ranged 

 from 39s. to 27s. the quarter ; peas from 403. 6d. to 27s. 6d. 



Algaroha leans. — The seed pods or bean of the carob-tree 

 {Ceratonia siliqua, or Frosopis pallida?) a tree common in the 

 Levant and South of Europe, are used as food. The pods contain 

 a large proportion of sweet fecula, and are frequently used by 

 singers, being considered to improve the voice. The name of St. 

 John's Head has been applied to them, from the supposition that 

 , they were the wild honey spoken of in Scripture as the food of 

 John the Baptist. About 40,000 quintals of these carobs are 

 annually exported from Crete. During the Peninsular war, the 

 horses of our cavalry were principally fed upon these algaroba 

 seeds. The pods of the West India locust tree, Hymencea courharil, 

 also supply a nutritious matter. 



That well known sauce. Soy, is made in some parts of the East, 

 froiQ a species of the Dolichos bean {Soja Jiispida), which grows in 

 China and Japan. In Java it is procured from the Phaseolus 

 radiatus. The beans are boiled soft, with wheat or barley of equal 

 quantities, and left for three months to ferment ; salt and water 

 are then added, when the liquor is pressed and strained. Good 

 soy is agreeable when a few years old ; the Japan soy is superior 

 to the Chinese. Large quantities are shipped for England and 

 America. The Dolichos bean is much cultivated in J apan, where 

 various culinary articles are prepared from it ; but the principal 

 are a sort of butter, termed mico, and a pickle called sooja. 



1,108 piculs of soy were shipped from Canton in 1844, for 

 London, British India, and Singapore. 100 jars, or about 50 

 gallons of soy, were received at Liverpool in 1850. The price is 

 about 6s. per gallon in the London market. 



