or any alkaline matter is useful. The ingredients employed, consist of English, Welch, Irish, or Scotch kelp; foreign barilla; and the salts obtained from soap-boilers' waste, whether by evaporation, or by calcination. The materials are pulverized, and thrown into a furnace of a peculiar construction, where they are, by intense heat, melted into a liquid, which is discharged through a channel into pots. When cold, the mass assumes the appearance of foreign pot-ash.
Barilla is said to furnish the best pot-ash, which is imported from Spain. It may also be advantageously prepared from kelp, salt, or glass-wort, fern, sea-wrack, and a variety of plants that are found both on the sea-coast, and in the interior parts of Britain.—This alkaline salt is employed in various manufactures, particularly in those of glass and soap; likewise by dyers, in the scouring of cloths, &c.:—it pays, on importation, the low duty of 2s. 512d. per cwt.
POT-ASH-CAKE, a kind of biscuit, much used in the United States of America; and which is baked in the following manner:—Take two pounds of wheaten flour, and half a pound of butter: to these must be added half a pound of sugar, that has previously been combined with a pint of milk; and a large tea-spoonful of salt of tartar, crystals of soda, or any other pure pot-ash, which has likewise been dissolved in a small quantity of water. The whole is to be carefully mixed, and kneaded together: when properly rolled, it may be formed into cakes, which ought to be exposed to a brisk heat of an oven; as their lightness depends much on the expedition with which they are baked.
Pot-ash-cake is equally nutritious and wholesome: being speedily prepared, it deserves to be adopted, especially where yeast cannot be easily procured.
POTATOE, the Common, or Solanum Tuberosum, L. a valuable root, originally a native of America, whence it was introduced into Ireland; and subsequently into Britain, about the commencement of the 17th century.
There are numerous varieties of the potatoe, which are cultivated both for culinary purposes, and for the feeding of cattle. The most remarkable of these are: the Common Kidney; the Red American Kidney; the Aylesbury White; and the Altringham Early White; which are chiefly reared for the table; as the Ox-noble (for the most part in Nottinghamshire); Surinam; Irish Purple; Howard or Clustered; and Red Potatoes, are for fodder.
The common mode of planting potatoes is, by setting the small roots entire; or, by cutting the larger ones to pieces, and reserving one eye or bud to each: it appears, however, that the rind may be employed with equal advantage; as crops have thus been produced, which fully equalled those obtained from seeds, sets, shoots, or by any other method.
These plants will flourish in any tolerable soil; but they thrive most luxuriantly in light sandy loams, that are neither too moist nor too dry. Such lands ought to be deeply ploughed, two or three times; and, shortly before the ground is stirred for the last time in the spring, it will be necessary
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