Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-09-16


A friend says to US, that he has two or
three hundred bushels Of potatoes--that
he has not hogs enough to cat them, and
the distance that he lives from market will
not allow of any profit, but a loss at the
present prices, should he haul them there;
and he asks what he shall do with them
Well, rather than have them rot, he had
better give notice that he will give the"
away, to those who viii co'"c after 'ncm'
After suffering die scourge Of the potato
rO. 81 many years, and living potatoIess, as
many have, it is really refreshing to hear
somebody ecu plain, that he has more po-
tatoes than he can use. 1t seems like old
times, vhen, whatever might happen to
other crops, We were sure of potatoes G.
nough. The question, however, reminded
us of plan, which might be generally
adopted by farmers, for the preservation Of
potatoes, turnips, apples, and such like per-
ishable articles.
1t is drying them. By going to little
expense for fixtures, the labor and trouble
would not be much We all know that
our good housewives dry apples, pump
kins, huckleberries, &c, for domestic use.
Well, suppose you adopt the same course
for the p reservation of potatoes, turnips,
apples, &c, for farm purposes? All that
is absolutely necessary to do, to effect this
inta esba ,hlean rflar ii "knla;~ a~A Of FsB04de
close room, until the water is evaporated
For domestic uses, we pare apples previous
to drying, but for feeding stock, nothing
more need be done than slicing them up
So of potatoes or turnips.
The plan of drying potatoes. may be
new to some, but it is thing that is done
in some places, to Il considerable profit, for
navy and domestic uses. Dried potato is
getting so be quite a valuable article
Some enterprisiug Vermonters at Hines
burg, have started potato drying estab-
lishment, and we understand, are doing a
good business
The Burlington, (Vt) Free Press, in an
article on this sui ject says:
"The application of this method to po-
tatoes at the Hinesburg factory is substan-
TALLY as follows - Being thoroughly
prepafsS ag5vsa St hs bss sRRs a. and
moved in contact 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, (macca-
roni fashion, and when perfectly dry, is
broken in a proper mill into the form of
what is called "samp" or ''homlny.' ln-
deed it might be easily mistaken for that
article made from our common yellow In
dian corn. BY the same process 1t has
lost nothing but aoater. But by that loss
it is made to occupy but o"e-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 in tin canisters, ,and be transported
just as easily as so mrch dry rice. Years
of trial have proven the unehanging char
acter of the preparation.
Now then for the use. For ono pound
of it take three prounds of boiling water,
or Ito speak cookery book fashion, put one
tea-spoonful of it into about four teaspoon
fuls of boiling hot water. In ten minutes
the water is entirely absorbed, and the re-
suit is ueN cooked dish Of mashed potato,
ready to be salted and buttered, or dealt
with as like dish made from fresh pota-
toes might be. The taste differs but
Slightly from that of fresh potato prepared
in the same manner We speak adviscdly,
for We have tried. Though We think any
one would prefer to crush for himself a
fresh mealy potato, if he were in eondi-
ton to choose, we have often, within the
last five years, had to be content with
using potatoes tasting not whit better
than the article we are speaking of-hardiy
as good even.
1t is difficult to comprehend at once the
great importance of such preparation OF
the potato. To a very large portion of the
human family the potato is an article OF
prime necessity for daily food. All who
have been accustomed to Use it, feel the
deprivation severely if placed beyond their
reach for any considerable time. Yet the
lbulkiness and psrishable nature Of the tu-