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the finer powder of the kernel adheres, a peculiar species offood is often prepared, by steeping in water, somewhat in themanner of manufacturing starch, which is called sowens inScotland . It is a kind of jelly, which is prepared by boiling,and is eaten along with milk. Likewise in some steps of themealing process, a light fibrous dark-brown dust separatesfrom the oats, which is called mill-dust, and is given to thecows or pigs of the farm.
The principal produce from the mill is oatmeal, which ischiefly used for making porridge, or pottage, a kind of flum-mery or hasty-pudding. For this purpose the meal is gra-dually stirred into boiling water, till of a proper consistence,when it is seasoned with salt, and thoroughly boiled. It is af-terwards eaten along with milk or beer, and forms a very ge-neral breakfast for the labouring people and young folks overall Scotland . Formerly the same dish was a very universalsupper, but has now given way in winter to the use of potatoes,an equally wholesome food, and considerably cheaper than oat-meal. "When travelling with droves of cattle to the differentfairs, the Scotch Highlanders often content themselves withoatmeal stirred among cold water, as their chief or only foodfor many days, and a more hardy l ace is no where to be metwith. In several of the northern counties of England, oat-meal stirred among boiling water, but not afterwards boiled,is a common breakfast, under the name of crowdy, some-times seasoned with rinded tat, butter, or drippings. In Scot-land , a common dish is made of toasted oatmeal stirred amongthe water in which salt meat has been boiled, and generallyseasoned with the fat skimmed from the pot. This is namedIrose, and is a very substantial dish.
Oatmeal is likewise made into a kind of bread named calces.The meal is kneaded up with cold water, or water which hasbeen boiled, and seasoned with a little salt. This paste isspread out into thin cakes, which are fired on a girdle orplate of iron over the fire, and afterwards toasted before thefire, as already mentioned in regard to barley bread; but thevol. i. 2 k