United　States　of　America；and　in　the　burning　heats　of　the　tropics；　and　it　might　be　had　from　Africa　and　Asia　as　well　as　from　America。　And　were　it　even　true；what　I　never　can　be　persuaded　to　believe；that　it　would　be　impossible　to　introduce　it　as　an　article　of　Food　in　this　country；　it　might　at　least　be　used　as　fodder　for　cattle；　whose　aversion　to　it；　I　will　venture　to　say；　would　not　be　found　to　be　UNCONQUERABLE。
  Oats　now　cost　near　two　pence　the　pound　in　this　country。　Indian　Corn；　which　would　cost　but　a　little　more　than　half　as　much；　would　certainly　be　much　more　nourishing；　even　for　horses；　as　well　as　for　horned　cattle；and　as　for　hogs　and　poultry；　they　ought　never　to　be　fed　with　any　other　grain。　Those　who　have　tasted　the　pork　and　the　poultry　fatted　on　Indian　Corn　will　readily　give　their　assent　to　this　opinion。
  CHAPTER。　VII。
  Receipts　for　preparing　various　Kinds　of　cheap　Food。　　Of　MACCARONI。　　Of　POTATOES。　　　　Approved　receipts　for　boiling　potatoes。　　　　Of　potatoe　puddings。　　　　Of　potatoe　dumplings。　　　　Of　boiled　potatoes　with　a　sauce。　　　　Of　potatoe　salad。　　Of　BARLEY　　　　Is　much　more　nutritious　than　wheat。　　　　Barley　meal；　a　good　substitute　for　pearl　barley；　for　making　　　　　　soups。　　　　General　directions　for　preparing　cheap　soups。　　　　Receipt　for　the　cheapest　soup　that　can　be　made。　　Of　SAMP　　　　Method　of　preparing　it　　　　Is　an　excellent　Substitute　for　Bread。　　Of　brown　Soup。　　Of　RYE　BREAD。
  When　I　began　writing　the　foregoing　Chapter　of　this　Essay；　I　had　hopes　of　being　able　to　procure　satisfactory　information　respecting　the　manner　in　which　the　maccaroni　eaten　by　the　Poor　in　Italy；　and　particularly　in　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　is　prepared；　but　though　I　have　taken　much　pains　in　making　these　inquiries；　my　success　in　them　has　not　been　such　as　I　could　have　wished：　The　process；　I　have　often　been　told；　is　very　simple；　and　from　the　very　low　price　at　which　maccaroni　is　sold；　ready　cooked；　to　the　Lazzaroni　in　the　streets　of　Naples；　it　cannot　be　expensive。　There　is　a　better　kind　of　maccaroni　which　is　prepared　and　sold　by　the　nuns　in　some　of　the　convents　in　Italy；　which　is　much　dearer；　but　this　sort　would　in　any　country　be　too　expensive　to　be　used　as　Food　for　the　Poor。It　is　however　not　dearer　than　many　kinds　of　Food　used　by　the　Poor　in　this　country；　and　as　it　is　very　palatable　and　wholesome；　and　may　be　used　in　a　variety　of　ways；　a　receipt　for　preparing　it　may　perhaps　not　be　unacceptable　to　many　of　my　readers。
  A　Receipt　for　making　that　Kind　of　Maccaroni　called　in　Italy　TAGLIATI。
  Take　any　number　of　fresh…laid　eggs　and　break　them　into　a　bowl　or　tray；　beat　them　up　with　a　spoon；　but　not　to　a　froth；add　of　the　finest　wheat　flour　as　much　as　is　necessary　to　form　a　dough　of　the　consistence　of　paste。Work　this　paste　well　with　a　rolling…pin；　roll　it　out　into　very　thin　leaves；lay　ten　or　twelve　of　these　leaves　one　upon　the　other；　and　with　a　sharp　knife　cut　them　into　very　fine　threads。These　threads　（which；　if　the　mass　is　of　a　proper　consistency；　will　not　adhere　to　each　other）　are　to　be　laid　on　a　clean　board；　or　on　paper；　and　dried　in　the　air。
  This　maccaroni；　（or　cut　paste　as　it　is　called　in　Germany；　where　it　is　in　great　repute；）　may　be　eaten　in　various　ways；　but　the　most　common　way　of　using　it　is　to　eat　it　with　milk　instead　of　bread；　and　with　chicken　broth；　and　other　broths　and　soups；　with　which　it　is　boiled。　　With　proper　care　it　may　be　kept　good　for　many　months。　It　is　sometimes　fried　in　butter；　and　in　this　way　of　cooking　it；　it　forms　a　most　excellent　dish　indeed；　inferior；　I　believe；　to　no　dish　of　flour　that　can　be　made。　　It　is　not；　however；　a　very　cheap　dish；　as　eggs　and　butter　are　both　expensive　articles　in　most　countries。
  An　inferiour　kind　of　cut　paste　is　sometimes　prepared　by　the　Poor　in　Germany；　which　is　made　simply　of　water　and　wheat　flour；　and　this　has　more　resemblance　to　common　maccaroni　than　that　just　described；　and　might；　in　many　cases；　be　used　instead　of　it。　　I　do　not　think；　however；　that　it　can　be　kept　long　without　spoiling；　whereas　maccaroni；　as　is　well　known；　may　be　kept　good　for　a　great　length　of　time。Though　I　have　not　been　able　to　get　any　satisfactory　information　relative　to　the　process　of　making　maccaroni；　yet　I　have　made　some　experiments　to　ascertain　the　expense　of　cooking　it；　and　of　the　cost　of　the　cheese　necessary　for　giving　it　a　relish。
  Half　a　pound　of　maccaroni；　which　was　purchased　at　an　Italian　shop　in　London；　and　which　cost　ten　pence＇20＇；　was　boiled　till　it　was　sufficiently　done；　namely；　about　one　hour　and　an　half；　when；　being　taken　out　of　the　boiling　water　and　weighed；　it　was　found　to　weigh　thirty…one　ounces　and　an　half；　or　one　pound　fifteen　ounces　and　an　half。　　The　quantity　of　cheese　employed　to　give　a　relish　to　this　dish　of　boiled　maccaroni；　（and　which　was　grated　over　it　after　it　was　put　into　the　dish；）　was　one　ounce；　and　cost　two　farthings。
  Maccaroni　is　considered　as　very　cheap　Food　in　those　countries　where　it　is　prepared　in　the　greatest　perfection；　and　where　it　is　in　common　use　among　the　lower　classes　of　society；　and　as　wheat；　of　which　grain　it　is　always　made；　is　a　staple　commodity　in　this　country；　it　would　certainly　be　worth　while　to　take　some　trouble　to　introduce　the　manufacture　of　it；　particularly　as　it　is　already　become　an　article　of　luxury　upon　the　tables　of　the　rich；　and　as　great　quantities　of　it　are　annually　imported　and　sold　here　at　a　most　exorbitant　price＇21＇：But　maccaroni　is　by　no　means　the　cheapest　Food　that　can　be　provided　for　feeding　the　Poor；　in　this　island；nor　do　I　believe　it　is　so　in　any　country。Polenta；　or　Indian　Corn；　of　which　so　much　has　already　been　said；　and　Potatoes；　of　which　too　much　cannot　be　said；are　both　much　better　adapted；　in　all　respects；　for　that　purpose。Maccaroni　would　however；　I　am　persuaded；　could　it　be　prepared　in　this　country；　be　much　less　expensive　than　many　kinds　of　Food　now　commonly　used　by　our　Poor；　and　consequently　might　be　of　considerable　use　to　them。
  With　regard　to　Potatoes　they　are　now　so　generally　known　and　their　usefulness　is　so　universally　acknowledged；　that　it　would　be　a　waste　of　time　to　attempt　to　recommend　them。I　shall　therefore　content　myself　with　merely　giving　receipts　for　a　few　cheap　dishes　in　which　they　are　employed　as　a　principal　ingredient。
  Though　there　is　no　article　used　as　Food　of　which　a　greater　variety　of　well…tasted　and　wholesome　dishes　may　be　prepared　than　of　potatoes；　yet　it　seems　to　be　the　unanimous　opinion　of　those　who　are　most　acquainted　with　these　useful　vegetables；　that　the　best　way　of　cooking　them　is　to　boil　them　simply；　and　with　their　skins　on；　in　water。But　the　manner　of　boiling　them　is　by　no　means　a　matter　of　indifference。This　process　is　better　understood　in　Ireland；　where　by　much　the　greater　part　of　the　inhabitants　live　almost　entirely　on　this　Food；　than　any　where　else。
  This　is　what　might　have　been　expected；but　those　who　have　never　considered　with　attention　the　extreme　slowness　of　the　progress　of　national　improvements；　WHERE　NOBODY　TAKES　PAINS　TO　ACCELERATE　THEM；　will　doubtless　be　surprised　when　they　are　told　that　in　most　parts　of　England；　though　the　use　of　potatoes　all　over　the　country　has　for　so　many　years　been　general；　yet；　to　this　hour；　few；　comparatively；　who　eat　them；　know　how　to　dress　them　properly。　The　inhabitants　of　those　countries　which　lie　on　the　sea…coast　opposite　to　Ireland　have　adopted　the　Irish　method　of　boiling　potatoes；　but　it　is　more　than　probable　that　a　century　at　least　would　have　been　required　for　those　improvements　to　have　made　their　way　through　the　island；　had　not　the　present　alarms　on　account　of　a　scarcity　of　grain　roused　the　public；　and　fixed　their　attention　upon　a　subject　too　long　neglected　in　this　enlightened　country。
  The　introduction　of　improvements　tending　to　increase　the　comforts　and　innocent　enjoyments　of　that　numerous　and　useful　class　of　mankind　who　earn　their　bread　by　the　sweat　of　their　brow；　is　an　object　not　more　interesting　to　a　benevolent　mind　than　it　is　important　in　the　eyes　of　an　enlightened　statesman。
  There　are；　without　doubt；　GREAT　MEN　who　will　smile　at　seeing　these　observations　connected　with　a　subject　so　humble　and　obscure　as　the　boiling　of　potatoes；　but　GOOD　MEN　will　feel　that　the　subject　is　not　unworthy　of　their　attention。
  The　following　directions　for　boiling　potatoes；　which　I　have　copied　from　a　late　Report　of　the　Board　of　Agriculture；　I　can　recommend　from　my　own　experience：
  On　the　boiling　of　Potatoes　so　as　to　be　eat　as　Bread。
  There　is　nothing　that　would　tend　more　to　promote　the　consumption　of　potatoes　than　to　have　the　proper　mode　of　preparing　them　as　Food　generally　known。In　London；　this　is　little　attended　to；　whereas　in　Lancashire　and　Ireland　the　boiling　of　potatoes　is　brought　to　very　great　perfection　indeed。　　When　prepared　in　the　following　manner；　if　the　quality　of　the　root　is　good；　they　may　be　eat　as　bread；　a　practice　not　unusual　in　Ireland。The　potatoes　should　be；　as　much　as　possible；　of　the　same　size；　and　the　large　and　small　ones　boiled　separately。They　must　be　washed　clean；　and；　without　paring　or　scraping；　put　in　a　pot　with　cold　water；　not　sufficient　to　cover　them；　as　they　will　produce　themselves；　before　they　boil；　a　considerable　quantity　of　fluid。They　do　not　admit　being　put　into　a　vessel　of　boiling　water　like　greens。　If　the　potatoes　are　tolerably　large；　it　will　be　necessary；　as　soon　as