The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-26 00:00:00

ECONOMY OF FOOD.

(From the ardel6tre Ckreskle.)
Two papers of considerablo importance on this sub-
join eppea to have math romped the attention of sigma],
tuna periodicals, although the subject itself is of vital inte-
rest to the depended and oppressed agricul.ore of the

meetly.
Whilst the corn grower is unable to compete with the
foreigner we need was articles of culture for food less
liable to c 'airtime, and net less nutritive and palatable.
The green crops, which well suit our climate, produce
more nourishment per acre, and IWO protected: by the
greater proportionate mot of freight and perishableness on
shipboard, suffer undtr other difficulties. The precious
potato (however despbed) is still subject to the
putrid disease ; the teraip is too inky and soft lo_or human
food, alone; and in that objection sll the other largely
grown edible roots and greens more or left participate. And
the eonvaninn of these into beef and mutton, t.king an
average of 150 I he. to asks 11b. of flesh, fs a waste, regard-
Mg both as human food, which must limit its practice is a
densely peopled country.
The papers to question do not directly meet rale dilemma,
bet they appear to establish two principles, which expend
the restriction of our choice of agricultural plants, and of the
modes of their pro oration for food, by considerations at
;fluent overlooked or disallowed.
1. The first relates to the incorrectness of nitrogen as a
measure of nutritive power in different articles of food.
2 The second to the increase of nourishing power of the
santa food, by prorating it to the digestive organs in

cos -
The brat of these papers was read at the British Associa-
tio ete,
he entinutritive vane tled "Os the per
of c f
rodentage," by
Dof nitrogen as en index
Dr. A. Vos ker.
This Roes to show the inaccuracy of the role, inferred
from Liebig's analogy between the vegetable and winos'
protein compounds, that "the nutritive (or rather the
fleshering and strengtbening) property of food is pro-
portionate to the nitrogen it contains." So generally
has this rale been received, that In several of the recent
tables of the comparative value of food, the provrtion of
nitrogen has been taken as the basis, or even se • correetion
of actual experiments, is feeding; and the cultivation of
different plants has been recommended accord'. gto their
relative contents of this ingredient. But Dr. Voelker @bows
that, in _many cases, much of this nitrogen is not in the
erimpoeition of protein (the Seebeck:is principle); sad con-
tributes little or nothing to the formation of flesh. The
discuseion welch followed, also went to infer that there
was yet much to be learned respecting the assimilation of
estrogen, and the relation of food to the formation of the
blood (and, consequently,. to nutrition). Under these cir-
cumstance., arricultural improver will, for the present,
not be restricted by the proportion of nitrogen, as a guide to
practical feeolog ; but will put more trust in their established
tables, esteeming Liebig's above quoted analogy, for
occasional reference and reasoaieg, whilst the further
Program; of chorales' (as well u precut:al) investigations are
rendering it • surer guide to their broad saes : and produc
tire plants, at present rejected for deficiency in nitrogen
may be found valuable in mixture, or eves aline.
The moat comprehensive table of reference, for this
Purpose, that I have mat with, is given by the Rev. AIL
J. 'Berkeley, in the Agrictilf steal Gazette (Gardeners
Chroatele), 1845, p. 649; where the theoretical nutritive
power, computed by Bonesaingault from the nitrogen of no
heathen 76 plants, sad parts of plants, cultivated for food,
&e ,Is given ; in contrast with 16 other tables, drawn from
practice and experiment; the republication of that table,
with an additional column for that compiled by the Rev.
W. !them, would be very appropriate to the suggestions
from this paper of Dr. Voelker.
The other paper goes • step farther; it is entitled
" Alimentary Regimen," by M. °aspirin, read before the
French Academy of Science, and unnoticed in any other
Mulish publication that I have met with, than " Cham•
bere's Edinburgh Journal." It rotates chiefly to the diet
of working people, and establishes a remarkable difference
in the strengthening power of the same material (bread)
acconliog to the mode in which it is pretested to the
digestive criteria.
finds that the mining population about Charleroi (on
the border of Belgium) nourish themselves fully, preserve
health and great vigour of muscular strength upon a diet
with less than half the nutritive principles found requisite
for herd-working men in the rest of Europe. The chaise
tine *pipers to be the habitual use of coffee at every meal.
Their coffee is a very weak infusion of equal parts, coffee
sell chicory, with about one-tenth milk. Of this the miner
takes shout four pints daily ' • and little or no other drink.
His rod is white bread and butter, with a supper of potatoes
and greens. He eats 21U. of bread, 2 use. of butter, and 1 alb.
mined potatoes and greens daily, and uses les each of the
toffee sad chicory. No meat except Sundays and Nut days,
when he also drieks four pinta of beer. This is lees io maz-
tire grail than the diet of the monks of La Trappe or of
the prisoners in the French gaols; sod yet these Belgian
seinen are mimetic workmen! so that the Preach miners,
with • more nutritious diet, are unable to compete with
them. This efficacy of the coffee is not attributable to
the nourishment contained in itself, which is very small;
bet indirectly to its co operation with the other food; or to
its action on the vital organs of digestion and secretion.
M. °aspirin also Instances the efficacy of toffee, in em
eAliog soldiers and others to endure fatigue ; and adds that
the miner, with bis wife and six children, lives on Is. 7d. a
iy, without getting in debt.
Coffee, then, though very little nourishing in itself, seems
to d more attention than it receives, as an article of
diet and economy, for its influence on other articles of
nourieloment. Coffee we cannot grow in this climate,
though we get it abundantly from our colonies; but
the other ingredients, chicory (or suceory), grows
wild in this COUOtry. IS of easy cultivation, a heavy
bearer, stands the frost; the loaves are an excel.
hut and early ',dd.?, and no contemptible dish for
the table; and the root not only mixes well with
adios, but when roasted forms a very respectable substitute
for it. After long keeping, roasted and ground, it gets flat;
bat the root may be kept dry and baked weekly in &pretty
quick farm or cottage oven, brown all through like coffee,
blu not Walk. For this it is best cut up, not larger than hen.'
outs; and it is full as likely to increue the nourishing acid
strengtheairg power of other vegetable food, as of bread
and potatoes. Run our succulent roots, ea turnips, carrots,
mashed or grated, and boiled or baked with meal of any
kind, may be made as solid as desired ; to substitute tor, and
improve on, the precious potato, or may be mixed when
deemed and hot, with chopped or crumbled bread, to pretty
aver the same purpose; and with this drink of chicory (fur
°Wee), might make • hearty working diet, very cheap, and
chiefly home grown, even whilst potatoes are dear.
But this paper of hl, Ga.parlo'a, we may bops, is only the
eaucciation of • principle, capable of much wider applica-
tion than merely to coffee and succor./ for drink, and bread
and greens, or our present grown roue for food. Extending
to the feedisig of other animals as well as man, in suggesting
improvements in the cooked and uncooked mister, e fur that
purpose. The converse is curiously illustrated in the case of
cerniviwous animals, which M. Majendie toned to require
as much weight of dried meat as of mist is its raw state;
though the latter is at least oeven-eighths water; i. re, 1 lb.
will contain only 2os of dry ; s i great is the effect of Its
state of preparation for the sumach.
These two papers, then, taken together, seem to prove
that the nutritive power does not depend upon the ele-
mentary ingredients of the food only, but is snub affected
by their state of natural composition in the plant, sad may
be still further irifluenced by artificial adaption to the
digestive organs ; thus opening suggestions for more effective
end, consequently, more general employment for our home
products, cheaper and heartier feeding for our own la-
bourers, and more eusomics" prodaction of animal food.—
J. Paten:tux.

DISCOVERY OP TUE REMAINS Or LADY SARAH
Hawienv.—lt will be in the ree.dlection of many of oar
feeders. @sloths Newcastle Cittardiars, that, during the time
the law-mutts were proceeding in chancery. with reference to
the proper: y of this charitable and pious lady, all traces of the
stone which ouvered her remains were lost. It was well
known that she was buried in Saint Saviouritate Church,
York, and copi. a of the inscription on the tomb were COW
OOP ; bat when the church was repaired a few years ago,
the fl airs were searched is a most diligent manner; all the
tombs examined, and, in fee., every portico of the church
rar sicked, with the exception of the altar, it being the
only part which was not them renovated. Within the last
few days. the altar steps and rails rays bass removed, is
coder to be restored and improved; and, when the boards
of the Roar and the steps were removed, at the south side,
the stale was found bearing the following inscription,
which exactly corresponds with the copies which were in
the possession of many :—" Here lies interred the body of Sir
John Howley, late of the city of Yolk, Knight, who departed
this life, August 21, 1697, scut 78. Iu thefts* bed of dust
are deposited the remains of Dame Sarah Howley, the virtuous
consort of the same Sir John Howley. who exchanged this
life for a be'ter. on the toe 23rd of August, 1710. 'Amman
the dead in Christ that shall rise first.' "-1 Tries. iv. 18.
It is now remembered by some of the old inhabitants, that
the chancel was extended oa both ends is 1801, and that
the extension en the south aide covered the tombstone of
Lady Howley, which till that time formed most part of
she door of the aisle. In removing the stone, about two
feet deep, a lead cffiln was found, aft. Bin. long, lit
side ems' the shoulders, which is supposed to contain
her ladyship's remains; sad in order to allay the many
doubts that were engendered in the minds of the nubile,
se to where the r mains were interred, it was allowed to be
pabliely inspeved for two or three days. It is Ix very pod
preservation; the wooden coffin in which it had been ea-
' aimed was quite decayed.

FINDON HADDOCKS.—The curing of these delicious
ash, says the North British Mail, is .ot coodned am to
the district which has gives its aims to this particular mode
ot preserving haddocks. They are now prepared all along
the Best Coast, end more recently the West Highlanden
bane takes advantage of the increased demand which has
art•ss for this important adjunct to the breakfast table. Lem
week, no lees them slaty-five barrels of Finnan Meddles "
urn brought here by the mum from Stornoway, Lewis.
The upon has been progressively ieereasing for some time,
and now the natives have set t►emselves in smelt to runty
the erer.eraving demand of the 400,000 Inhabitants of the
mpital of the west. It the Berra people would cooly ge and
do so likewise, we should have lam dike everlasting be
esti starvation yid* bow nada, base wmehed islssdne
• by..wmd is the sosatiy.