as to make it an object of serious importance
to establish the facts of the case.

A Mr. Stafford, in America, discovered the
cause of the mischief, and invented a process
by which the acid moisture of the grain is
evaporated, without injury to any of its
other constituents. The meal is passed over
warm cylinders, and comes away almost as
incapable of deterioration as sand. It has
been shut up in a garret for two years; it has
been carried round the world, without losing
its sweetness and delicate flavour. This meal
can now be sold at two-thirds of the price of
the best wheaten flour. With the addition of
the cost of carriage into the country, it may
be reckoned at less than three-fourths of the
price of wheaten flour. Owing to the exertions
of the American Minister, and others
in London, an extensive trial is in progress
there; and here and there, in country districts,
a cask has been distributed among neighbours,
who immediately become anxious to know
how they may obtain the flour regularly.
But, as yet, little is done towards introducing
it where it is most wanted—among the Irish,
who are still lingering on towards the grave,
and the Scotch, who are in some parts sinking
under the prospect of death by famine. In
the island of Skye, the weather was tempestuous
last summer. The harvest season
was wet; the potatoes failed, as completely as
in Ireland in 1847; few of the peasantry
have seed corn or potatoes, and those few are
daily driven to consume that which is their
only hope for another year. A gloom hangs
over the bare land, and over the sinking
people. On the other side of the sea, the
great American valleys are producing a vast
surplus of this meal, over and above what the
inhabitants can consume, or have, as yet, sold;
and in London are the means of communication
between those who abound and those
who need.

The inventor of the new process has
printed instructions and other advice to teach
how the Indian-corn flour may be dressed.
Our present notice would not be entertaining
if it should take the form of an extract from
a receipt-book; and we will, therefore, merely
say, in regard to the cookery branch of the
subject, that the ordinary English taste
appears to be best met by a half-and-half
mixture of the meal with wheaten flour,
or two-thirds of wheaten to one of Indian
flour. We cannot, however, refrain from
giving the receipt for the true American
pudding, which, though rarely or never
described in receipt-books, is exceedingly
grateful to the palates of tourists as well as
natives:—

Six tablespoonfuls of Indian-corn flour;
one pint of milk scalded with an ounce of
butter (or suet); stir in the milk and butter
to the flour, and also two tablespoonfuls of
molasses, and a very little salt; lemon-peel or
citron is an improvement. Tie up in a basin,
with a thick cloth, and boil four hours. If
baked, it will take two hours. Eat with
butter, molasses, or lemon. The flour should
always be worked up with boiling water or
milk. And, finally, the Americans in England
complain of the varying qualities of our
yeast, which they declare to be never the
same from any two breweries, and therefore
difficult to prescribe about in their receipt-books.
They are glad when we use the dried
German yeast, as giving the experiment of
their flour the fairest chance.

Considering how many anxious persons are
considering what can best be done for those
emaciated Highlanders, who are ready to eat
the very sea-weed under their feet, if it would
only nourish them; considering how many
new owners of Irish estates, and old owners
of released estates, are pondering, day and
night, what can best be done for the peasantry—
may we not hope that the opportunity of
introducing a fourth or third more good food
for the same money will not be overlooked?
May not the prevalent disrelish of the " yellow
meal " be overcome by an explanation, that
the flour under Stafford's patent is not the
same article, nor anything like it? Is it
not pretty certain that the food which is
relished throughout the American navy,
and at the tables of gentlemen in London,
and tradesmen in country towns, would be
well received among those who know, by
personal experience, what dearth is in Scotland,
and famine in Ireland? Dare we refuse
to try?

Everyone may begin the experiment as he
pleases, of course. One was tried in this way.
A box arrived at a country town, containing
several packages of the flour, done up in
weight of seven pounds each. One was sent
to the clergyman; one to each inn; one each,
to three or four houses where good cooks were
kept: and, again, to several shopkeepers.
Various labourers were asked, as a favour, to
accept a hot pudding, or a loaf, and give a
perfectly honest account, whether they liked
it or not. In every case but one, the report
was favourable. Tradesmen and labourers
came to the house to know how they could
get more, without running the risk of expensive
carriage, by ordering of the flour-dealers.
The patron of the experiment sent to London
for a cask, out of which, after paying the carriage
by luggage-train, the flour will issue at little
more than half the present price of wheaten
flour in that somewhat expensive little town.
As it is by no means the wish of the patron to
steal the trade of the baker and flour-dealer,
they will come up, bringing their own scales
and weights, if they like, and weigh out for
themselves; and then, if they please their
customers, they can henceforth send their
own orders to London. It appears that
two or three pounds a year will be saved
to the patron's purse by the adoption, to a
certain extent, of this new food; and many
and many a hard-earned shilling to the
labouring man.