The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-18 00:00:00

ON POTATOE FLOUR.

(From the Scotsmin.)
By the Right Hon. Sir JOHN Smt,Arit, Bart.

To the Editor.—Sir,--I have observed in
your's, and in several other Newspapers, the
communications of an author who writes under
the name of " Medicus," respecting the advan-
tages to be derived from the use of " Potato°
Flour." It is ,certainly a object which merits
particular attention, and the country is much in-
debted to that public spirited individual, for hav-
ing revived so interesting a discussion, and for
having given so much valuable information re-
specting it. I think it right also, to furnish any
aid in my p',nver to so useful an inquiry, which I
hope will HOW be prosecuted with zeal, until
so impoltant an object. as that of enabling this
country to supply itself with food, from its own
resources, is attained.

It may be proper here to state, that this sub-
ject was investigated by the Board of Agriculture,
as far back as the year 1795 ; and that in the
Appendix to the General View of the Agricul-
ture of the county of Kent, drawn up by Mr.
John Boys, an intelligent farmer in that county,
there are several papers respecting it. From those
papers it appears, that in the year 1795, Mr.
Boys, at the desire of the then President of the
Board of Agriculture, had four sacks of potatoes
kiln-dried, for the purpose of ascertaining whether,
in that dried state, or if converted into meal,
they would remain perfectly good during a lung
voyage, and without being injured by vermin.
The four sacks were well scoured with a broom
in tabs of water, and then were pared by women,
and cut in slices of about one-filth of an inch in
thickness. They were afterwards dried in a
common hop-cast or kiln. When thoroughly
dried, they became extremely brittle, and were
easily ground into meal between a pair of corn-
stones. The price of these potatoes were 10s. 6d.
per sack, and the expence of washing, paring, and
kiln-drying them, came to 9s. per cwt., but would
have been considerably less, if a larger quantity
had been done at the same time.

As potatoes, if well washed, may be sliced with
the bkin on, alid by an instrument, the expence
of paring !alight be saved, and the drying would
go on :squally well. Hence, if the potatoes, in a
raw state, cost 10s. 6d. per sack, their price, in a
dried state, would only be about 365. per cwt.
It appears from that appendix, that a small
quantity of potatoes thus sliced and dried, and
some meal ground from them, were put on board
his Majesty's ship, the St. Albans, under the
command of Captain Russel, who took them to
St. Helena, and brought them back again to
England, and who certified to the Commissioners
of the Victualling Office, that he had, at dif-
ferent periods, and in the different climates to and
from St. Helena, inspected the state of the pota-
toes so prepared, a•nd was of opinion that both
the sliced potatoes and the meal, retained all the
essential qualities of the potatoe unimpaired,
though somewhat altered in colour. Governor
Hunter also, in a letter from New South Wales,
certified that the farina or meal was as pure and
perfect as when first packed ; that when made
into a pudding nothing could be more sweet and
fresh ; and that bread made of it, with a mixture
of flour to the amount of one-fourth, was exceed-
ingly fine and palatable, much resembling in
colour the best brown bread to be met with in
English farm-houses.
Mr. Boys' experiment went upon the idea of
converting the whole potatoe into flour for dis-
tant voyages, and for naval purposes. But it
has frequently been proposed to use the starch
of the potatoe alone, more especially for domes-
tic uses. Which plan ought to be preferred,
will require investigation and experiment. I
have no doubt, however, either in the one way
Or in the other, or perhaps in both, for different
purposes, that
a much greater consumption of
potatoes is likely to take place than has hitherto
been contemplated.
I shall take an early opportunity, as soon as
the potatoe crop has been fully secured, of sub-
mitting a plan for that purpose, which I trust
will be thought entitled to the attention and sup-
port of the public.—l remain, Sir, your very
obedient servant.
Edinburgh, Sept, Ism
13s, George•etrecti