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FRUITS AND ROOTS.

But the most general substitutes for bread in the West Indiesare the yams. There are three different species of this plant, theroots of which are promiscuously used for bread. They are saidtobe very nutritious, of easy digestion, and when properly dressed,are by some preferred to the best wheaten bread. The taste issomewhat like the potato, but more luscious. The negroes gene-rally eat them boiled, and beaten into a mash. The white peoplehave them ground into flour, and make bread and puddings ofthem. They can be preserved for several seasons, without losingany of their primitive goodness.

Of all the substitutes for bread in Europe, the potato is the mostextensively useful. This plant is a native of Peru, and has beenin Europe above two hundred years. Like most other importantdiscoveries, it made but slow progress, and is still far from beingso generally cultivated as it deserves to be. It is indeed known inmost parts of Europe, but its culture is best understood in Ireland,and the northern parts of England. At Harwich, however, thepreference is given to the Dutch potatoes, brought over by thepackets between that place and Helvoet-Sluys. There is a lightsandy soil in Holland very favourable to the culture of that inesti-mable root.

As this plant thrives in every soil, and seldom suffers from aninclemency of seasons, wc must blame ourselves if we suffer afamine to exist. Indeed no such thing ever can be, where dueattention is paid to the culture of potatoes. A far greater quantityof farinaceous food can be raised on an acre of grouno plantedwith potatoes, than sown with any kind of grain. It is notuncommon to have a return of forty for one. They are not sohearty a food as corn, but no man will ever perish for hunger whocan have potatoes.

Potatoes abound with an insipid juice, which induces some tothink that they are not very nutritious. Facts, however, areagainst this opinion. Some of the stoutest men, we know, arebrought up on milk and potatoes. Dr. Pearson, who has bestowedsome pains in analyzing this root, says, that potatoes and wateralone, with common salt, can nourish men completely. Theydiffer in colour and consistence, but not materially with regard totheir nutritive qualities.

Some think the firm kind are the most nutritious ; but the Irish,who must be good judges, give the preference to the mealy. Thedifference, however, depends much on the mode of cooking them.

More than half the substance of potatoes consists of water, andexperience shows, that the mode of cooking, which most dimin-ishes the moisture, is to be preferred. In London, they aredrenched in water, and washed before they are brought to market,which accounts in a great measure for the bad quality of theLondon potatoes.

They are dressed in a variety of ways, but simple boiling orroasting seems to be all the cooking they require, to render thema proper substitute for bread. Some are fond of making bread ofthem. This, in my opinion, is marring both. Why manufactureany thing into bread, which requires only the aid of fire to makeit such 1 Nobody thinks of making dough of the bread-fruit ; but