A French gentleman, of very superior powers of mind, accustomed to enter deeply into, and to examine in its most minute details, every question of importance presented to him, and who is a real connoisseur in bread, tells me, that for more than twelve months past he has been supplied exclusively with that fabricated by M. Rolland's appareil, and finds it so superior for its cleanliness, flavour, and general excellence, that he cannot reconcile himself to any other. As he has resided in England, and in various parts of the continent, he has had good opportunity of comparing that of different localities; and his testimony may be entirely relied on.*

In conclusion: M. Rolland has furnished all the bread supplied to the Ecole Polytechnique for more than a year, to the entire satisfaction of the establishment.

Amongst the bakers who have written to certify the success which has attended their trial of the Rolland oven and kneader, and to express their obligation to the originator, are a Monsieur Con

* " "Que voire pain est mauvais! was his frequent exclamation when speaking of the bread of our shops; but when asked to taste and give his opinion of some good home-made bread, "Ah! that is excellent! it is like cake!" he said; yet it was merely what was always made in the most simple manner for common daily consumption, and not enriched in any way, nor prepared for the occasion.

E

stance (ainé), 4. Rue de la Monnaie, Dijon, who delayed his testimony for five months, wishing, he says, to make quite sure of the durability, as well as of the effective working of the machinery, and also to ascertain the real extent to which both labour and fuel were economised by the inventions.

From Besancon, Rue des Granges 37, on the 17th January, 1854, Monsieur Mosel, also a baker, writes thus:—"I have had a baking establishment on your system of panification open from the 11th of April, 1833. To tell you all the approbation and all the encouragement which it has met with, and all the satisfaction which I experience at having introduced your oven and kneader at Besancon, is beyond my power. The quality, cleanliness, and beauty of their products have brought me so many customers of all classes, that I cannot. Our work is continued by night and day. You will soon receive orders for more of your ovens and kneaders from Besancon; for the advantages of your system over the old one are so certain and so decided, that no hesitation can exist as to which should be preferred."

To close the list of the provincial bakers, whose names and addresses I have selected to afford the reader who may desire it every facility of reference to individuals whose own experience enables them to form an accurate opinion, and to impart precise

particulars of the result which these inventions give, I append the two which follow :—

"Your Rolland kneading machine has come to hand very seasonably; for there is much to do in these parts just now, and good workmen are scarce; but that does not put me out at present; for with my two boys—one fifteen, and the other sixteen years old—and the new kneader (petria), we get through our work better than with the best journeyman. I, who was for eighteen years a baker's journeyman, and passed ten of them in Paris—where I was foreman in various shops— have never seen our work so well done as I find it done now with Rolland's machine.

"Bezault,

"Boulanger, a Drouet, Loir-et-Cher."

"I must assert it, because it is my conviction, founded on a thorough knowledge of the baking trade (boulangerie), the Rolland apparatus will cause a complete revolution (in baking), and ought to bring to intelligent bakers a better class of customers, and a much increased amount of work.

(Signed)

"Duzan,

"Ancien President du Conseil General des Syndics de la Boulangerie de France.

"Rue des Piliers du Tutelle a Bordeaux,

October 4th, 1853."

The baker of the Hópital Saint-Jean, a Turin, named Ruffinetti, says, "The advantages of the new oven are very numerous and considerable," and that his workmen appreciate and wish to see it generally adopted in their country.

A Monsieur Delmehae, of Rio Janeiro, whose oven was constructed from plans, directions, and models, sent from France, speaks of its success in the highest terms.

In Venice, Vienna fa la Manutention des Vivres de I'ArméeJ, and in a long array of other foreign cities, it is also at work: but I am unable to devote further space to it; nor is it necessary to do so for the simple purpose of directing attention to it in England.

Note. In the slight description of M. Rolland's oven, which I have attempted to give at page 48, I find that I have made a mistake in saying that it was heated by means of hot air "conveyed from a distant fire." The door of the furnace is placed quite away from that of the oven, but the fire is under it; and the hot air is made to circulate over and round it, by means of flues, which branch off from the main conductor in different directions.

CHAPTER IV.

GLUTEN.

The Super-excellence of Wheat as Bread.Corn, derived from the nature of the Gluten it contains—Curious Particulars of Algerian Wheat entirely devoid of this Principle—Superiority of the hard-grained Wheats to the soft—Agriculture in France and in England—Our more abundant Crops, from our higher Cultivation-Difficulties of French Agriculturists—Method of separating the Gluten from the Farina or Starch of Wheaten Flour, by Professor Johnston and Professor Donovan.

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It is the substance called gluten, of which it is in part composed, that gives to wheat its superior value to every other kind of grain as bread-corn, and renders the flour derived from it easily convertible into light, elastic dough. It does not contain a large proportion of this element — not more, on an average, than ten parts in a hundred, but this is in the highest degree nutritious; and its nature is such, that bread cannot readily be made from corn in which it is wanting. A singular proof of this fact was shown in France some four or five years since, and reported to the Académie des Sciences.