Evening star., 1915-05-30
AGRICULTURAL DEPT.

Prof. Wells w. Cook of the bureau
of biological survey recently made pub
lie his report for this years series Of
bird trips by the Audubon Society.
DR.. Cook comments on the large at
tendance and increasing interest in
the trips The Audubon has just closed
a series of all-day Saturday trips.
An illustrated lecture was given re-
Gently by Will c. Barnes. assistant
forester, upon The Experiences and
Privations of the Stockmen in the Ma
tional Forests" before the Home Club.
The lecture was illustrated. Mr..
Barnes, who, in former days. achieved
renown as a cowpuncher. described the
present-day methods of fighting for
est fires.
Chess is one of the varied outside
interests which is occupying the time
Of some of the employees of the de-
partment these days. Among the chess
culture may be named Messrs Balls,
Brown. Burkholder. Cross. Evans. Fos
ter. Hitchcovck, Huntington, Knapp,
May, Murray, Parks. Pew. Roberts. Saw
age, Stevenson, Straughn, Waggaman,
Wheeler and Zopoleon.
Charles E. Gage, assistant chief
clerk of the bureau of crop estimates
Gage was at his home recently for
three weeks on account of rheumatism.
and the disease has attacked him
again.
r. E. Smith of the bureau of crop
estimates was on leave of absence
Tuesday.
Ii u Of he h,,r nf
crop estimates is on annual leave of
absence May 22 to the 1st of June.
Charles A. Daugherty, statistical
scientist of the bureau of crop es-
Inmates, was on the sick list this week.
The announcement of Edward L.
Griffin a chemist in the insecticide and
fungicide laboratory. of his marriage
in Kansas while on leave of absence
there recently surprised his fellow
workers in the bureau.
An experimental photo-drying plant,
for the purpose of determining the
commercial possibilities for the po-
tato drying industry. in the United
States, has been completed by the bu-
reau of chemistry at Arlington farm.
Va, forming one of the newest ac-
tivities of the bureau.
The bureau describes it's latest ac-
tivity in the following words:
The immediate object of the expert
ment is to determine the most effective
and economical method of drying po-
tatoes for stock feed. 1t is believed
that culls and potatoes for which no
profitable market is found can be
turned into a concentrated non-perish-
able product that can be shipped
profitably long distances from potato
growing sections to stock-feeding
regions. The product as developed in
the first runs consists of most of the
starch and solids of the potato dried
with the potato skin. 1t is known to be
an excellent food for swine and is be-
lieved to be suitable as a cattle food.
The plant at Arlington consists of
concrete building 100 feet long and 40
feet wide, two stories high: The pota-
toes when delivered are dumped into
potato washing machine. which re-
moves all straw. stones and foreign
matter and thoroughly cleanses the
potatoes. From the washer the po
tatoes go by elevator into grinder.
semi-liquid pulp. The pulp is run
through a roller press which removes
great deal Of the water. The pressed
pulp is then put through textile drier,
which removes nearly all of the mois-
ture. 1t is not desira BILE, it was found,
to dry the pulp completely, as it i'm
mediately reabsorbs moisture from the
air.
"The product when delivered at the
end of the drier is in flakes irregular
in shape, somewhat larger than a sill
yer dollar The flakes are slightly
darkened by the minute particles of
peeling mixed in with the solid con-
tent of the potato. The product when
eaten raw has the characteristic po-
tato favor. with a slightly bitter or
puckery flavor characteristic of the
skins of boiled potatoes.
Part of the potato starch is re-
in the process of rolling. Ex-
periments are to be made in collecting
and saving this starch as a by-product.
This process differs materially from
the process which has been used in
Germany. 1t is desired to work out
a method that can be carried out with
a smaller Investment than 10 required
for the German plant