The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-11-14
1Tntsteuann.
From Letter, and Papers Of The BATH and Yt9
IF Eagiand Soriety Of 1906.


important discoveries concerning it, if attempt to
fay its qualities. IL is not, however, iingu
lar opinions thar 70 important 10 this vegetable and 10
applicable economical ufss, human food that i,
will remain for poHerity fully appreciate it's poii
tive ard comparative value. But us new and pro-
niiing experiment, however imperie6ly conducted,
ouli be faersd elcape general notice, i, will be
acceptable to readers receive general fate
ment of certain trials made by very Respectable
Britifh merchant, with view to afcerain the value
of the potatoe for fsa provion and other tores His
dihidenee about having done uace to the fubjee,
which he doubts of finding lefure to Profeeute, pre-
vents his allowing his appear to fniihed
ehay of his own but certain Ratements deemed
too important TO he loh they may lead to farther
difcoveres and facts. The fatenents then in fub
Rance as follow:
The cafe with which this root is prepared by
boiling and for immediate oonfumption, either in its
feparate form, mixed in bread the little trouble
there is in prefervng it through the winter months;
and the Mort period between the time OF planting
and the return of the crop have noa probably been
the eauies why els pains have been taken to find out
cheap methods of preferving potatoes, as fore for
future fufenance, than would otherwiIe have been
the cafe.
The large quantity Of potatoes produced in the
ls fsaon and the repued carcity of bread corn, in
duced me a few weeks iinee to make iome fmall
Periments on the means fdrying potatoes either in
fubaance or ia flour either for future confumption
N'S"'~'NN 49, S'S ASPP'J ~ WI A>e>N W" 'S-'S
voyages
(" rha cafe with which found this might be done,
and me probable benefit which think may be derv
ed to the public from farther puriuit of the fubje
induce, fubmit to the infpeaion of the So
ciety fmall quantity of the -four of potatoe fent
herewith.
{" The potatoes were boiled with their fkn on dri-
ed on kiln, and the whole ground in neel
mill none OF the fkn has been fsparated by drel-
ling.
BY experiments that have been before made on
nae dried flour of potatoes it is KNOWN that it will
keep longer than the -four CT wheat without ipoiling;
that it is ufed uhaitute for fago and makes good
biicuits without admixture And have every reafon
TO believe it viii mix and make good bread, in much
larger proportion with wheat-hour, than has hitherto
been employed of the boiled root, in the common
moae Of uing it.
"Oft the eypenfe Of preparing the Aohr from the
root in large quantities am not prepared to fpeak
IT he chief iabour is wafhug the Potatoes from the
mould, which adheres TO the eyes, particularly in
thoie forts, the eyes of which much depreiicd
Drying them will be conlderably eIpen(ve but
think may be reduced much below what at firlt it will
be efimatedat. Grinding will cot than
corn
From what believe were accurate experiments
find that hundred pounds of walhed potatoes will
produce full twenty five pounds of flour Quch the
fample) The difference in weight will be very little
whether the potatoes are boiled, only ground in
apple-mi aud the juice fuifered lowy to drain from
tnrm before tney dried. it might eem therefore,
at firit view, that the boiling might be omitted my
trials however have ewn me, that the colour of the
-four is much farer when boiled, and the tate more
pleaiant and that the expenfe of boiling in 0eam
very little. With the greaeh care fome of the
narch (the mott nutritve part OF the roo) will fepa-
rate with the juice; above three pounds of the fine
harch (weghed after j, dred) pafled off with the
water from 100 lbs. fpo,atoe.
Other perlons will | truh, afcertain fuch facts
-.
fatisfa6iory particulars. In the time per-
NIT make climate of the probable produce of
acre OF potatoes in quantity, when reduced TO the
ila,e of -four.
The average produce Of an acre, managed with
care, is eitimated at about eighty Jacks of $40 lbs
each.
According to my experiments (asbefore), 100
lbs of wafhed potatoes will produce IS lbs. of dry
hour each fack co lbs acre, two tons and
upwards
am not qualified at prelent carry thefe calcu-
Iations fsrher-if quantity alone be the quelfion,
need not.
=" Note. The po,atoc. uled in the foregoing trial,
were the red apple potatoe.
The heel mill has ground this -four 70 fine as
believe none mill would have done. Some OF
theie had their Gins fripped off after boiling. Should
expeditions method be found of Tripping of the
f<ins, it will perhaps be LET'S troubleome than waihng
70 carefully mutt otherwfe be practfed
After giving numerical account of the fampls, of
-four Of potatoe prepared for exhibition this gentle
gives ALTO iamples Of bread and bcut made from
different forts of potatoc-hour mixed with different
proportions Of wheatAour Of different degrees of fine
nefs; but thele would he unintelligIbe in this place,
in he abienee of fuch lanlplcs.
The potstoe -four ufed in ths bread and b;fcuit is
made Of the whole Of the potatse, wahed, Teamed,
bruied eighty after Roaming, dried a malt-kn,
and ground in common corn mill, alteration
whatever having been made in the fet of thu Zones
from what they were as ulsd for grinding wheat it
may feafonably be fuPpofed however, that miller,
zccuaomed to grind this article, would make better
work and finer -four
Nothing taken from the flour except fome
large pieces that ground, and little large
bran ia the proportion OF the fampe fent herewith.
The potatoes Of which this -four made
were certainly ovsr.dried and having lain in an heap
after Roaming upwards Of two days before they
put upon the kiln, fome degree Of fermentation had
begsn to take place. but which thought 70 little
to have been perfectly corrected by the drJnT In
the bread, however, it ID certainly diGingualable.
The baker csnfders that it from this eaufe tina: ,h.
bread il 70 light it otherwife would have been.
II rofe well in the oven, but fell when the door wa,
opened. He thinks, that when mixed with the -four
Of dry wheat the potatoe- meal will have exactly the
fame eIeG the mixture of certain portion of
wh-at four and Shs; il will snfwer well in about
the fame proportion. lie has nodoubt but that even
with this -Four he ihsll fuceeed better in the 1e-