Statistics . 277 
had a common standard of weight and measure in this country* 
The want of it is a sad reflection on our want of knowledge. 
The peck loaf of England must weigh 17 lb. 6 oz, : for which 
about 1 4 lb. of flour is usually employed : the half peck weighs 8 lb. 
1 1 oz. : the quartern loaf, 4 lb. 5 oz. 8 drs. Hence in the usual 
way of sale, 56 ounces of flour make 69 and a half ounces of bread ; 
or 10 lb. of flour makes 12 1-2 lb. of bread. 
The following facts were ascertained by direct experiment in* 
stituted for the purpose. 
A Winchester bushel of good wheat weighing fifty-nine pounds, 
produced, lb. 
Of the finest flour - - 28 
Seconds - - - - 5 f 
Fine middlings • - - 7 
Coarse ditto - - - 3 | 
Bran t - 15 
The bushel - - 59 
Also, 615 lb. of clean wheat was taken and ground : it produced 
514 lb of flour, and 84 lb. of bran. The flour when baked pro- 
duced 672 lb. of household bread, or at the rate of thirty per cent, 
beyond the weight of the flour. The salt, the yeast, and the wood 
employed to bake it, cost 5 shillings sterling : the workmanship 
2s. 6d. I presume the bread was weighed while warm. This is 
at the rate of 13 lb. bread to 10 lb flour. 
According to Lord Sheffield, the general calculation is, that a 
Winchester bushel of wheat weighing 60 lb. will produce 54 lb. of 
meal, 5 1-4 lb. of bran and three-fourths of a pound of water: and 
will make 68 lb. of bread : this is in the proportion of 13 1-3 lb. of 
bread for 10 lb. of flour. See vols. 26, 29, 35 of the Annals of Ag- 
riculture. 
It appeared from the examination of the baker’s about that pe- 
riod of scarcity in England, that American flour weight for weight 
produced rather more bread than the best English flour. Hence 
I conclude that 10 of American flour ought to make 13 of bread, 
if well managed. 
The facts shew the great value in point of economy. 1st. In 
eating household bread, and 2d. In baking at home. The great 
art of baking, is in the laborious kneading of the dough. A small 
quantity of pearl-ash dissolved in the water, makes the bread 
somewhat lighter and assuredly whole some r. All the bread used 
