The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-07-27
"Imperishable Potato"

Press that there has been established
at Hinesburgh, factory for putting
a very portable and almost imperish-
able form, the edible substance of po-
tatoes, without injury to its qualities
as an article of food The process is
as follows:
Being thoroughly cleansed, deprived
of the skins and propcry prepared.
fresh currents of air arc moved in con-
tact with the potato pulp by machinery.
The air rapidly takes up and carries
off the moisture. The material is
made to take the shape of tubes, (inac
caroni fashion,) and when perfectly
dry, is broken in proper mill into the
form of what is called " samp" or
L" hominy." Indeed, it might be
easily mistaken for that article made
from our common yellow Indian corn.
BY the process it has lost nothing but
,cater. But by that loss it is made to
occupy but one-Sirth of its original
bulk, and what before weighed tour
pounds now weighs but one pound. In
that condition it can be packed in tight
casks, or tin canisters, and be trans
ported Just as easily as so much dry
rice. 1t is now in very " HANDY"
condition for table use. For one
pound of it take three pounds of boil
ing water. or, (to speak cookery-book
fashion, put one tea cup full Of into
four tea cups full of boiling hot water
In ten minutes the water is entirely
absorbed, and the result is well cook
ed dish of mashed potato, ready to be
salted and buttered, or dealt with, a:
like dish made from fresh potatoes
might be. The taste differs but slight
ly from that Of fresh potato prepared
in the same manner.
1t is difficult to comprehend at onc'
the great Importance Of such pre-
paration of the potatoc. 10 larg'
portion of the human family, the potat
is an article Of prime necessity 10
food. Al who have been accustomed
to use it, feel the deprivation severel.
if placed beyond its reach for any cor
siderable length Of time. Yet tn
bulkiness and perishablc nature of tn
tuber in its natural condition, make it
) transportation to great distances b
either land or sea impossible. Fo
want of it. the health Of crews on Ion
voyages, and of soldiers or other per
sons occupied where it cannot be pr
, cured is often greatly injured. !
some district where it is the the chic
4 article Of food, great distress is cause
, by the failure of a crop, because til
want cannot be supplied except at a
+ insupportable expense. Let the pre-
9 paration of this " imperishable potato
: be made common, aud all these evi
are substantially done away with.
. Few persons have any concephc
/ of the amount of nutritive food whiC
. is raised in the form of potatoes, whel
!. the soil and climate are Favorable
d Though, pound for POUND, less nut
i tien than wheat or rye, as a whole, 1
It othor crop can equal it. Careful e.
c periments have shown that from ii
9 same amount Of suitable ground, whe
= there could be raised, on the aveag
, 3400 lbs of wheat, or 2200 lbs of pea
It there could be raised $500 lbs Of pot
d toes or, reducing them all to the a
'e solutely dry state, for 5000 lbs
d wheat, or 20S0 lbs of peas, there wou
+ be 9600 lbs of potato more thi
n three times the amount of food pT
u duced in the shape of wheat, and mo
II n than four times that in the form
as peas.
k For many years the potato crop /
al been a very important one in Vernon
m nor barely from its extensive use
- home as food for man and best, but
u came it has been largely worked up
TO the starch faotories.-- with a gr,
81 many farmers of small means it
~ been a chief reliance, wherewith to
20 20 tain cash in hand by its sale. Sil
Ia the railroads ware built, great quau
ler ties have goue 70 market in fresh c
he dition at mighty rcmuneratiye rates
ad the producer. Tho tcrrors Of the
.