SOUP, No II.
Ingredients. Weight Cost in Avoirdupois. sterling money. lb. oz. L. s. d. 2 viertls of pearl barley … … 70 9 0 5 9 13/22 2 viertls of peas … … … 65 10 0 3 7 5/8 8 viertls of potatoes … … 230 4 0 1 9 9/11 Cuttings of bread … … … 69 10 0 10 2 4/11 Salt … … … … … … 19 13 0 1 2 1/2 Vinegar … … … … … 46 13 0 1 5 1/2 Water … … … … … … 982 15 ————- Total weight 1485 10 Expenses for fuel, servants, repairs, etc. as before … … … … … … … 0 3 5 5/12 ——————— Total daily expence, when dinner is provided for 1200 persons … … … … … … … 1 7 6 2/3
This sum (1L. 7s. 6 2/3.) divided by 1200, the number of portions of soup, gives for each portion ONE FARTHING very nearly; or accurately, 1 1/40 farthing.
The quantity of each of the ingredients contained in one portion of soup is as follows:
In avoirdupois weight.
Ingredients. Soup, No I. Soup, No II.
Of pearl barley 1 1058/1200 0 1129/1200
Of peas … … 1 960/1200 0 1050/1200
Of potatoes … ——— 3 84/1200
Of bread … … 0 1114/1200 0 1114/1200
—————- ———————
Total solids 4 772/1200 5 977/1200
Of salt … … 0 316/1200 0 316/1200
Of weak vinegar 0 748/1200 0 748/1200
Of water … … 14 432/1200 13 127/1200
—————- ———————
Total 19 968/1200 19 968/1200
The expence of preparing these soups will vary with the prices of the articles of which they are composed; but as the quantities of the ingredients, determined by weight, are here given, it will be easy to ascertain exactly what they will cost in any case whatever.
Suppose, for instance, it were required to determine how much 1200 portions of the Soup, No. I. would cost in London at this present moment, (the 12th of November 1795,) when all kinds of provisions are uncommonly dear. I see by a printed report of the Board of Agriculture, of the day before yesterday (November 10), that the prices of the articles necessary for preparing these soups were as follows:
Barley, per bushel weighing 46lb. at 5s. 6d. which gives for each pound about 1 1/2d; but prepared as pearl barley, it will cost at least two pence per pound[6].
Boiling peas per bushel, weighing 61 1/4lb. (at 10s.) which gives for each pound nearly 1 1/2d.