PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY 7 OHM FFNNn \7« c. uir n c-td r c-t 7 iANo - ®9> HIGH.STRESI, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHILADELPHIA. [No. 65, of Vol. lII.] LETTERS, EARL OF DUN DONALD, ON MAKING BREAD FROM POTATOES A VARIETY of other business has put it oui of my power ro have made all the experi ments I could have wifljed, so as to leave nothing to others but lo follow the directions and hints fuggeited to them. Imp re (Ted, however, with the importance of a fnbjeifl, which has for its ob ject the more plentiful and cheaper supplying mankind, particularly the lower clafles, with food, I venture here to throw out fonie ideas on the fitnefs of the potatoe, and its farina, to cer tain uses not yet mentioned :—To which will be added a statement of the value of an acre of po tatoes, manufactured as recommended, and com pared with the value of an acre of wheat.— Whence it will not be difficult to forefee the ef fect, that the more general cultivation of pota toes, especially by cottagers, and manufacturers residing in the country, will have, in keeping down the price of provisions, adding to the ge neral comfort of individuals, and in tending to the increase oj population, which every where thrives belt where food is to be had in abun dance ; making true the old Roman faying, Sine Baccho et Cerere frige: Venus. Experiments have been made, with the finer part of thepotatoe-powder, by myfelfand others, to fubltitute it as a light, nutritive food, for lick, tender, or convalescent persons, instead of fag'> or falup ; which it very much refenibles, in the fine clear jelly, or vegetable mucilage, it forms, when mixed in a proper manner with boiling wa ter. It may be taken with wine, milk, or broth. —If found, on further trials, to be equally nu tritive and reitorative, as I believe it to be, it will prove a molt valuable addition to the sup plies, which government have been so careful, of late years, in fending to sea, for the use of our seamen. 1 here is reason to believe, that it will not be fubjed:, like wheat-flour, to fpuil, or to be de ftroyed by infeifts ; and that it may bepreferved found, for a length of time, in the warmed cli mate. The reasons which lead me to form the above opinion, are, that it is homogeneous, and docs not con fill; at two diftintf, and opposite fubftau ces, as wheat-flour does : In which, when it be gins to spoil, there may be supposed a chemical action-os the one part on the other. Heat will thereby be let loose, the original arrangement of the parts will be altered, and the flour will no longer be fit to be used for food, exclusive of the final! infetiis, always found in bread, or in flour, when in a decayed, or decaying (late. It is probable, that potatoe-powder will not be lia ble to thole inconveniences, from the reasons al ready given. Potatoe-powder does not occupy near the space of an equal weight of wheat-flour. It is capable of being made fully dry, by exposure to air. It does not imbibe or absorb nioifture, as other meal er flour does in datnp weather. It is extremely cold to ]he touch ; or, in other wordsf a power ful abftra<slor of heat from bodies to which it is applied. These its properties seem to ensure, a priori, its keeping in warm climates :—Where, indeed, a similar flour, or powder, may be made from the yam, and sweet potatoc :—perhaps to greater advantage than from the potatoe produc ed in this country.—A circumstance of no incon fiderahle moment to the inhabitants of the Weft India islands, who are totally fnpplied with flour and grain from North America, and from Eu rope. Potatoe-powder is very inflammable. When burning, it emits a fniell similar to burningfugar, with an acid which sensibly effects the eyes, as is the cafe likewise with sugar. From tliefe, and other circumitances, I am led a priori, to fay,that althoug sugar may not be made from potatoes, at least, in the present state of our chemical knowledge, yet, it is my opinion, that potatoe powder may be n<ed to very great advantage in making ardent spirits, by mixing it with the pro portion of malted grain, commonly used with un nialted grain at the distilleries. I think, also', that the spirit will be much purer than what is got from a mixture of malted and unmalted grain. The defedt of which articles consist in their con. taining too large a proportion of vegeto-anima) BY THE LETTER 2 Saturday, December 5, 1791. matter, more than is neceff'ary, in the proceiles of germination or malting ; and afli:iiilation for forming a saccharine fubllance or juice. The ftiperabundant proportion of vegeto-animal mat ter is the reason why malt spirits acquire an em. pyreumatic flavor from the tendency which it has to be ailed on, by the great heat applied to the bot tom of the still. I have every reason to believe, that the process of afimilation will succeed equally well with po tatoe-flour, mixed with malted grain, as when ground barley or other unmalted grain is made use of; and that the spirit will be much purer. If this, on trial, (hall prove to be the cafe, much less wheat and barley will be consumed in the manufacture of spirits : ofconfequence the price of grain will fall, one of the objects which 1 have in view, by communicating to the public what Is stated in this and in the preceding letter. 1 row come to state some of the purposes to which the liquor got from potatoes is applicable, lit, It may be used as a nourilhing food, or li quor for cows, lo as to make them in the winter time give a much larger quantity of milk, the milk richer, yielding more and better cream, than the milk of cows fed on cabbages or tur nips ; and free from the rank disagreeable taste, and smell which milk from thence acquires. The other life to which it is recommended to apply the liquor got from potatoes, is in the pre paration of vegetable fixed alkali, vulgarly called pearl or pot ashes : from which it may be obtain ed in large quantities. According to the expe riments 1 have made, in a proportion from the produce of a Scots acre of potatoes, rated at 40 bolls, of notlefs than 2cwt. of fixed alkaline fait. The applying the superabundance of the pota toe-liquor, or more than is requisite to give to cows and cattle, to this last mentioned purpose, will diminish our importations from abroad of an article so indispensably neceflary to different branches of manufacture. Culrofs Abbey, Feb. 1791. [letter 3, IN OUR NEXT.] FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES. MR. FEN NO , If you will give this a place in your Gazette, you will oblige a conjlaiit reader. WHEN a wicked person is determined to take offanot her by poison, it is always ne cessary to the success of the design, that the poi son should be concealed by being mixed, with something that is good ; I observe that some of your correspondents pradtice the fame art, in administering their political poisons to the peo ple ; for if you will examine their compositions with care, you will find in many of them, amongst a number of good sentiments some dangerous ones concealed, tending to corrupt the political sentiments of the people, and poison the very sources of freedom. One of your correspondents in your "Gazette of the 2d ult. afFords a mod linking proof of the justice of the above assertions ; for while he is warmly advocating the great utility, and necef fity of difFufing knowledge amongst the people, and of the public opinion's being enlightened and unprejudiced, by mifinformation, or misre presentation—how strenuously does he endeavor, to mislead and deceive the people, and that on a point the most eflential to their freedom and happiness, that is, refpeJiing the Constitution and form of government they live under ; for it must be evident to any one who will read his observations, that he is endeavoring to establish the opinion, th it we must form our judgment of the nature of the constitution by the operations of the government, an opinion than which no thingcan be more delusive or dangerous to liberty. and prosperity of a people under a government, may be a proof of good adminif tration—but is no proof of a good constitution ; for it is allowed by all that an absolute monar chy, if there be a wife and good monarch at the head of it, may make a people very happy and prosperous ; but would our men of worth and talentj endeavor to persuade us from this to adopt that system of government. These zealous in formers of mankind, while they propagate this sentiment, mean rather to deceive,than to inftrutft; to blind, than to enlighten, to mifinform, rather than to inform the public mind. I hey wifli us blindly to transfer that confidence which we have in our rulers, to the constitution itfelf—but 249 [Whole No. 271.] if thayhope for this, they mufl indeed think we want enlightening—for the worst form ofgovern menc oil earth may chance to have good men a: the head of it, and while that is the cafe it liiav operate well. Theßaftile in France would have been an harmless building, had it never been made use of for bad purposes ; the pernicious effedts of poison are not experienced while it re mains corked up in the apothecaries vial, nor can we feel the evils of a bad government, while the dangerous powers of it are not put into ope ration ? Tho' the above was not designed for my Oppo. nent, yet he may take some part of it, fori think it will suit his performance very well : but I can not take leave of liini without congratulating hiai very sincerely upon the success of my little eflay ; for it has clearly converted one foul from idolatry, to the acknowledgment of a divine Providence. A RESPONDENT. L O N D O JS, September 21. The Spanifli edicts refpeciting foreigners have undergone repeated modifications, and are now reduced to a simple oath of fubmiflion to the King and the laws during the reildence of the person taking it in Spain. Their Majesties the Emperor and Emprefi of Germany made their public entry into Prague on the 3d inftai)t. The Count d'Artois also arrived at the fame time ; but not with a view [o afiifl at the ceremo ny of the coronation, for, accompanied by the Prince of Naflau, he set off the fame day to Ha nau, on his journey from Pilnitzto Coblentz. It was remarked, that during the stay of the Emperor and his Pruffiavi Majelty at Pilnitz, the Minifler of France to the Eletftor of Saxony ap peared neither ac that place nor even at Dresden, when the augull company came there to alfiit ac the meeting. On the 27th of Augufl: the Count d'Artois had, in the apartment of the King of Prussia, a con verfatiou of two hours and a half Em peror and his Prussian Majesty. After this con versation, the Count d'Artois having retired, the two Monarchs continued in conversation for a whole hour. After the conferences at Pilnirz, on the even ing of the fame day, when the company had reached Dresden, there aflembled, after supper, in the apartment of the Emperor, the King of Prussia, the Count d'Artois, Field Marlhall Count: de Lafcy, Baron de Speilinann, M. de Calonne, and Major General de Biflchofswerder. The conference laited till half paftone o'clock in the morning, when the Emperor continued liis route for Bohemia. By the llegifters of Cadiz and Lisbon, the im portation of gold and silver from South America, upon an average, is five millions annually. Of this above a million is brought every year into England, in return for the manufactures Tent to Spain and Portugal, independent of raw mate rials, wine, fruit, fait, &c. obtained from these countries. Thus it happens from the superior industry of the British manufacturers, and the spirit of enterprise among the merchants, that the mines of Mexico, Peru, and Brazil, produce more solid advantages to this country, than they do to the Spaniards and Portuguese. Hostilities between the Moors and Spaniards have already begun by an attack made by the former 011 Ceuta, which has turned out luccefs fullyfor the Spanilh arms. The Moors cannonaded the place, and damaged some of the works : but the besieged made a sortie and spiked up the cannon of the enemy. bmice John, the African Prince, is arrived here ft otn Sierra Leona. His business to this country appears chiefly to be refpefting the Slave Trade. He has met with a very cordial reception in this city, and particularly among the gentlemen who with for the abolition of the Slave Trade. Yesterday accompanied by Mr. Clarkfon and other gentlemen, he dined with Samuel Frederick Milford, Esq. To day he dines with T. Hill, Esq. His visit hereengrofles a great part of our pre fentconverfation—He has displayed great disgust again it his former traffic in huinan o flefh. Yes terday a gentleman in conversion, observed him pull out his watch, begged to know how much lie gave for it in Guinea ? <•' Oh ! I give I give—what I never give more." What might that be Prime John ? " On! I give a fine boy."
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