The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-08-13

WAICu 10 uuueT tHc CuaISe VI IToi. - !.
S. Newman, has lately issued a bulle-
tin that ought to interest every farm
er in the South. The bulletin de-
scribes q new method of preserving
sweet potatoes, which has been tested
and proven to be a decided success,
and we give herewith the substance Of
the report:
Three years ago the solution Of the
problem Of how to introduce the sweet
potato to commerce was undertaken.
There were two difficulties to be over
come:
LIST. To render the potato less per-
ishable, and
End. To reduce its weight and thus
render its shipment to distant markets
practicable.
The question Of varieties, fertiliza-
tion and cultivation has been exhaus-
lively studied. That large crops can
be produced at small cost has been de-
monstrated.
That they furnish cheap and nutri-
tious food, not only for man, but for
all cla6ses of domestic animals is not
questioned.
AS market crop they have thus
far fallen far short Of success. Why
is this?
First, they are too bulky to bear
transportation, even to our own large
cities.
Second, they are 100 perishable to
bear rough handling and exposure to
freezing weather.
The problem, therefore, which we
undertook to solve was to reduce the
bulk and weight, by drying off surplus
moisture, to sterilize the product as to
exempt them from the fungus disease
to which the green product is subject,
and to accomplish these ends without
impairing the edible qualities Of the
dessicated product.
In 1899 the roots we're peeled and
sliced and dried in movable evapo-
rator. This resulted in removing the
excess Of moisture and consequently
reducing the weight to one fourth that
of the green roots, and rendering the
product -perishable, but this was
accompanied by practical destruc-
tion Of the flavor. The surplus mois-
ture was removed, but the re- absorp-
tion of the moisture was not satisfac-
tory, and, hence, when cooked, they
did not resemble in consistency nor
flavor Of the fresh potato.
In 1900, Mr.. j. Sam Pickett, fore
man of the station work, learned that
Mrs. E. F. Mcdowell, of Franklin, N.
c., had succeeded in producing sat
isfactory article by boiling the pota-
toes before evaporating them. Acting
upon this suggestion fairly good re-
suits were obtained, and merchanta-
BILE article produced by boiling in an
open kettle, and using again the fruit
evaporator. The work. however, was
irregularly done, many of the slices
being overlooked and hard.
A.suf6cient per cent of the output
was properly prepared to demonstrate
the correctness Of the method, and
that satisfactory success vas attaina-
bic with suitable outfit skillfully
handled. To test the keeping quail
ties of this output, part Of the pro-
duct has remained in ordinary cloth
sacks for seventeen months, having
passed through two winters and one
summer in a perfect state of preserva.
tion.
In the fall of 1901 experiments we're
made with thirteen different varieties
to test their comparative adoption for
the purpose. A box of each of these
is now included in the Clemson Col
lege exhibit at the Charleston exposi
tion.
A room was equipped for steam
heating in connection with the can
merry in the horticultural division of
the experiment station, by means of
which the work Of boiling, peeling
and evaporating could be more expe-
ditiously and economically performed.
By means Of a derrick used in tho
cannery, several bushels of green po-
tatoes were lowered in an iron basket
into large boiler in which the water
was heated by steam. To secure uni
form cooking the roots should be
nearly of the same size. Those
weighing from one to two pounds re-
quired one hour for thorough cooking.
Six to eight hours were required for
evaporating them at temperature of
$50 r. An ordinary lsborer peeled
and sliced one bushel per hour.