essays-1-第42部分

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This　sum；　（20　3/4　pence；）　divided　by　64；　the　number　of　portions　of　Soup；　gives　something　less　than　ONE　THIRD　OF　A　PENNY　for　the　cost　of　each　portion。But　at　the　medium　price　of　Barley　in　Great　Britain；　and　of　Indian　Corn　as　it　may　be　afforded　here；　I　am　persuaded　that　this　Soup　may　be　provided　at　one　farthing　the　portion　of　20　ounces。

There　is　another　kind　of　Soup　in　great　repute　among　the　poor　people；　and　indeed　among　the　opulent　farmers；　in　Germany；　which　would　not　come　much　higher。This　is　what　is　called　burnt　Soup；　or　as　I　should　rather　call　it；　brown　Soup；　and　it　is　prepared　in　the　following　manner：

　　　　　　　　　Receipt　for　making　BROWN　SOUP。

Take　a　small　piece　of　butter　and　put　it　over　the　fire　in　a　clean　frying…pan　made　of　iron　（not　copper；　for　that　metal　used　for　this　purpose　would　be　poisonous）；　put　to　it　a　few　spoonfuls　of　wheat　or　rye　meal；stir　the　whole　about　briskly　with　a　broad　wooden　spoon；　or　rather　knife；　with　a　broad　and　thin　edge；　till　the　butter　has　disappeared；　and　the　meal　is　uniformly　of　a　deep　brown　colour；　great　care　being　taken；　by　stirring　it　continually；　to　prevent　the　meal　from　being　burned　to　the　pan。

A　very　small　quantity　of　this　roasted　meal；　（perhaps　half　an　ounce　in　weight　would　be　sufficient；）　being　put　into　a　sauce…pan　and　boiled　with　a　pint　and　a　quarter　of　water；　forms　a　portion　of　Soup；　which；　when　seasoned　with　salt；　pepper；　and　vinegar；　and　eaten　with　bread　cut　fine；　and　mixed　with　it　at　the　moment　when　it　is　served　up；　makes　a　kind　of　Food　by　no　means　unpalatable；　and　which　is　said　to　be　very　wholesome。

As　this　Soup　may　be　prepared　in　a　very　short　time；　an　instant　being　sufficient　for　boiling　it；　and　as　the　ingredients　for　making　it　are　very　cheap；　and　may　be　easily　transported；　this　Food　is　much　used　in　Bavaria　by　our　wood…cutters；　who　go　into　the　mountains　far　from　any　habitations　to　fell　wood。　Their　provisions　for　a　week；　（the　time　they　commonly　remain　in　the　mountains；）　consist　of　a　large　loaf　of　rye　bread　（which；　as　it　does　not　so　soon　grow　dry　and　stale　as　wheaten　bread；　is　always　preferred　to　it）；　a　linen　bag　containing　a　small　quantity　of　roasted　meal；another　small　bag　of　salt；and　a　small　wooden　box　containing　some　pounded　black　pepper；with　a　small　frying…pan　of　hammered　iron；　about　ten　or　eleven　inches　in　diameter；　which　serves　them　both　as　an　utensil　for　cooking；　and　as　a　dish　for　containing　the　victuals　when　cooked。They　sometimes；　but　not　often；　take　with　them　a　small　bottle　of　vinegar；but　black…pepper　is　an　ingredient　in　brown　Soup　which　is　never　omitted。Two　table…spoonfuls　of　roasted　meal　is　quite　enough　to　make　a　good　portion　of　Soup　for　one　person；　and　the　quantity　of　butter　necessary　to　be　used　in　roasting　this　quantity　of　meal　is　very　small；　and　will　cost　very　little。One　ounce　of　butter　would　be　sufficient　for　roasting　eight　ounces　of　meal；　and　if　half　an　ounce　of　roasted　meal　is　sufficient　for　making　one　portion　of　Soup；　the　butter　will　not　amount　to　more　than　1/10　of　an　ounce；　and；　at　eight　pence　the　pound；　will　cost　only　1/32　of　a　penny；　or　1/8　of　a　farthing。The　cost　of　the　meal　for　a　portion　of　this　Soup　is　not　much　more　considerable。　　If　it　be　rye　meal；　（which　is　said　to　be　quite　as　good　for　roasting　as　the　finest　wheat　flour；）　it　will　not　cost；　in　this　country；　even　now　when　grain　is　so　dear；　more　than　1　1/2d。　per　pound；　1/2　an　ounce；　therefore；　the　quantity　required　for　one　portion　of　the　Soup；　would　cost　only　6/32　of　a　farthing；and　the　meal　and　butter　together　no　more　than　（1/8　＋　6/32）　=　10/32；　or　something　less　than　1/3　of　a　farthing。If　to　this　sum　we　add　the　cost　of　the　ingredients　used　to　season　the　Soup；　namely；　for　salt；　pepper　and　vinegar；　allowing　for　them　as　much　as　the　amount　of　the　cost　of　the　butter　and　the　meal；　or　1/3　of　a　farthing；　this　will　give　2/3　of　a　farthing　for　the　cost　of　the　ingredients　used　in　preparing　one　portion　of　this　Soup；　but　as　the　bread　which　is　eaten　with　it　is　an　expensive　article；　this　Food　will　not；　upon　the　whole；　be　cheaper　than　the　Soup　just　mentioned；　and　it　is　certainly　neither　so　nourishing　nor　so　wholesome。

Brown　Soup　might；　however；　on　certain　occasions；　be　found　to　be　useful。　　As　it　is　so　soon　cooked；　and　as　the　ingredients　for　making　it　are　so　easily　prepared；　preserved；　and　transported　from　place　to　place；　it　might　be　useful　to　travellers；　and　to　soldiers　on　a　march。　　And　though　it　can　hardly　be　supposed　to　be　of　itself　very　nourishing；　yet　it　is　possible　it　may　render　the　bread　eaten　with　it　not　only　more　nutritive；　but　also　more　wholesome；　and　it　certainly　renders　it　more　savoury　and　palatable。It　is　the　common　breakfast　of　the　peasants　in　Bavaria；　and　it　is　infinitely　preferable；　in　all　respects；　to　that　most　pernicious　wash；　TEA；　with　which　the　lower　classes　of　the　inhabitants　of　this　island　drench　their　stomachs；　and　ruin　their　constitutions。

When　tea　is　mixed　with　a　sufficient　quantity　of　sugar　and　good　cream；when　it　is　taken　with　a　large　quantity　of　bread　and　butter；　or　with　toast　and　boiled　eggs；and　above　all；WHEN　IT　IS　NOT　DRANK　TOO　HOT；　it　is　certainly　less　unwholesome；　but　a　simple　infusion　of　this　drug；　drank　boiling　hot；　as　the　Poor　usually　take　it；　is　certainly　a　poison　which；　though　it　is　sometimes　slow　in　its　operation；　never　fails　to　produce　very　fatal　effects；　even　in　the　strongest　constitution；　where　the　free　use　of　it　is　continued　for　a　considerable　length　of　time。

　　　　　　　　　Of　Rye　Bread

The　prejudice　in　this　island　against　bread　made　of　Rye；　is　the　more　extraordinary；　as　in　many　parts　of　the　country　no　other　kind　of　bread　is　used；　and　as　the　general　use　of　it　in　many　parts　of　Europe；　for　ages；　has　proved　it　to　be　perfectly　wholesome。　In　those　countries　where　it　is　in　common　use；　many　persons　prefer　it　to　bread　made　of　the　best　wheat　flour；　and　though　wheaten　bread　is　commonly　preferred　to　it；　yet　I　am　persuaded　that　the　general　dislike　of　it；　where　it　is　not　much　in　use；　is　more　owing　to　its　being　BADLY　PREPARED；　or　not　well　baked；　than　to　any　thing　else。

As　an　account　of　some　experiments　upon　baking　Rye　Bread；　which　were　made　under　my　immediate　care　and　inspection　in　the　bake…house　of　the　House　of　Industry　at　Munich；　may　perhaps　be　of　use　to　those　who　wish　to　known　how　good　Rye　Bread　may　be　prepared；　as　also　to　such　as　are　desirous　of　ascertaining；　by　similar　experiments；　what；　in　any　given　case；　the　profits　of　a　baker　really　are；　I　shall　publish　an　account　in　detail　of　these　experiments；　in　the　Appendix　to　this　volume。

I　cannot　conclude　this　Essay；　without　once　more　recommending；　in　the　most　earnest　manner；　to　the　attention　of　the　Public；　and　more　especially　to　the　attention　of　all　those　who　are　engaged　in　public　affairs；the　subject　which　has　here　been　attempted　to　be　investigated。　　It　is　certainly　of　very　great　importance；　in　whatever　light　it　is　considered；　and　it　is　particularly　so　at　the　present　moment：　for　however　statesmen　may　differ　in　opinion　with　respect　to　the　danger　or　expediency　of　making　any　alterations　in　the　constitution；　or　established　forms　of　government；　in　times　of　popular　commotion；　no　doubts　can　be　entertained　with　respect　to　the　policy　of　diminishing；　as　much　as　possible；　at　all　times；　and　more　especially　in　times　like　the　present；the　misery　of　the　lower　classes　of　the　people。

END　OF　THE　THIRD　ESSAY。

Footnotes　for　Essay　III。

＇1＇　November　1795。

＇2＇　The　preparation　of　water　is；　in　many　cases；　an　object　of　more　importance　than　is　generally　imagined；　particularly　when　it　is　made　use　of　as　a　vehicle　for　conveying　agreeable　tastes。　In　making　punch；　for　instance；　if　the　water　used　be　previously　boiled　two　or　three　hours　with　a　handful　of　rice；　the　punch　made　from　it　will　be　incomparably　better；　than　is　to　say；　more　full　and　luscious　upon　the　palate；　than　when　the　water　is　not　prepared。

＇3＇　I　cannot　dismiss　this　subject；　the　feeding　of　cattle；　without　just　mentioning　another　practice　common　among　our　best　farmers　in　Bavaria；　which；　I　think；　deserves　to　be　known。　　They　chop　the　green　clover　with　which　they　feed　their　cattle；　and　mix　with　it　a　considerable　quantity　of　chopped　straw。　　They　pretend　that　this　rich　succulent　grass　is　of　so　clammy　a　nature；　that　unless　it　be　mixed　with　chopped　straw；　hay；　or　some　other　dry　fodder；　cattle　which　are　fed　with　it　do　not　ruminate　sufficiently。　　The　usual　proportion　of　the　clover　to　the　straw；　is　as　two　to　one。

＇4＇　A　viertl　is　the　twelfth　part　of　a　schafl；　and　the　Bavarian　schafl　is　equal　to　6　31/300　Winchester　bushels。

＇5＇　The　quantity　of　fuel　here　mentioned；　though　it　certainly　is　almost　incredibly　small；　was　nevertheless　determined　from　the　results　of　actual　experiments。　　A　particular　account　of　these　experiments　will　be　given　in　my　Essay　on　the　Management　of　Heat　and　the　Economy　of　Fuel。

＇6＇　One　Bavarian　schafl　（equal　to　6　31/100　Winchester　bushels）　of　barley；　weighing　at　a　medium　250　Bavarian　pounds；　upon　being　pearled；　or　rolled　（as　it　is　called　in　Germany）；　is　reduced　to　half　a　schafl；　which　weighs　171　Bavarian　pounds。　　The　79lb。　which　it　loses　in　the　operation　is　the　perquisite　of　the　miller；　and　is　all　he　receives　for　his　trouble。

＇7＇　Since　the　First　Edition　of　this　Essay　was　published　the　experiment　with　barley…meal　has　been　tried；　and　the　meal　has　been　found　to　answer　quite　as　well　as　pearl　barley；　if　not　better；　for　making　these　soups。　　Among　others；　Thomas　Bernard；　Esq。　Treasurer　of　the　Founding　Hospital；　a　gentleman　of　most　respectable　character；　and　well　known　for　his　philanthropy　and　active　zeal　in　relieving　the　distresses　of　the　Poor；　has　given　it　a　very　complete　and　fair　trial；　and　he　found；　what　is　very　remarkable；　though　not　difficult　to　be　accounted　forthat　the　barley…meal；　WITH　ALL　THE　BRAN　IN　IT；　answered　better；　that　is　to　say；　made　the　soup　richer；　and　thicker；　than　when　the　fine　flour　of　barley；　without　the　bran；　was　used。

＇8＇　By　some　experiments　lately　made　it　has　been　found　that　the　soup　will　be　much　improved　if　a　small　fire　is　made　under　the　boiler；　just　sufficient　to　make　its　contents　boil　up　once；　when　the　barley　and　water　are　put　into　it；　and　then　closing　up　immediately　the　ash…hole　register；　and　the　damper　in　the　chimney；　and　throwing　a　thick　blanket；　or　a　warm　covering　over　the　cover　of　the　boiler；　the　whole　be　kept　hot