The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-21
POTATO MEAL AS
AID To ECONOMY
MIXED WITH FLOUR MAKES
GOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR
ALL FLOUR BREAD

| H. Washington, Feb. so.--Baking ex-
perimentes to test the value of making
bread OF potato-meai mixed with
wheat -four are now being undertaken
by the United States Bureau of Chem
istry, This is to test the possibilities
of the potato in the same manner as
Germany and Austria are now advis-
ing their people to do. The Increased
cost of living throughout the world has
emphasized the fact that -four made
of other substances than wheat. or
of these substances mixed with wheat,
might provide people with heaithfui
food quite as nutritious as the pure
wheat -four, and at the same time
cheaper.
I Breat Has Course Texture.
/ Austrian bakers are onw compelled
by law to use at least 80 per cent po-
tato-meal in making this bread. The
Bureau of Chemistry's potato-meal
Dread has been baked with from 25
TO so per cent potato-meal and the
remaining percentage wheat. The most
satisfactory loaves In combining eco
nomy and appearance were those made
with the minimum percentage allowed
in Austria or less. The loaves made
with more than 80 per cent potato
meal were not so satisfactory. as they
were heavier and less attractive in
form. The bread had a rather coarse
texture and dark appearance but pos
sesses a distinctive and agreeable
favor. 1t also retains moisture for
much longer period than ordinary
wheat bread.
j The Bureau of Chemistry used the
imported potato fake in some of its
experiments and in Others, meal made
by siicing. milling and drying pota-
toes on "A small scale in its labora-
tories. Ii should be added that such
ordinary potato -four as it on our
American markets Is not the same as
the German potato fake or Walz-mehl
which has give such satisfactory re-
suits In the experiments.
Il Ordinary Potato Might Serve.
Il The question has been raised as TO
whether the ordinary cooked potato
might not be satisfactorily SUBSTITUTE
ed for the prepared potato-meal. The
experimenters believe that 1t might
serve the same purpose II used in last
the right proportion, but this would
be difficult for the average housewife
to detirmine, as there is great danger
OF using too much and producing a
very soggy loaf, However, the GUS
tom of adding a very little potato Is
already used by many housekeepers to
keep their bread moist and this prac-
tice can be very we'll be recommended
for more general use.
Cheap and Nutritious Bread.
Dried bananas, ripe and unripe, and
chestnuts are other substitutes for
wheat -four made by the Bureau of
| Chemistry. Still other products which
oyer promise of furnishing the public
with a cheap and nutricious bread arc
the following: Bran, soy bean. white
bean, millet. katir. milo, casheen. cot
tonseed -four. oatmeal, cassava. buck
wheat. rye. corn, gluten, kaoliang, rice.
peas, corn meal (white and Yellow.
The breads made from these vari-
1 Gus ingredients have already been an
4 alyZed. The fiours from which the
breads were made are being analysed
that it may be known exactly how
nutriciors they are in comparison with
the pure wheat Hour, The SOY bean
4 and cottonseed fiours when mixed with
wheat tiours In proper proportions
tabout rs per cent? give a bread with
about twice the amount OF protein
\ muscle building element) that ortli.
nary wheat bread contains.