157 



Avoid all empiricism. Attend to the suggestions of science ; then that 

 which is now crooked will soon be made straight, and that which is 

 wanting will speedily be numbered. 



Allegan County, Mich., 2d Dec, 1853. 



APPENDIX. 



Note 1. — Method of Extracting Farina or Potato-Flour from the 



Common Potato. 



The process of extracting the farina from potatoes is very simple. The 

 most mealy, or those which contain the greatest quantity of farinaceous 

 matter, should be chosen. When performed on a small scale, which 

 may be done in every house, the potato should be skinned as thin as 

 possible, and then grated down with a coarso grater. The pulp should 

 then be washed through a hair-seive, and washed repeatedly until the 

 flour is perfectly white. 



When done on a large scale the tubers are not peeled, only the pulp 

 will require to be more frequently washed. A machine, consisting of 

 an inclined cylindrical grater, revolving in a hopper, is sometimes used 

 for gi'inding the potatoes. Water must be thrown on the potatoes while 

 grinding, in order to facilitate the passage of the pulp through the ma- 

 chine. After washing, the flour must be dried carefully, in the open 

 air, if possible, or in the house at a moderate heat. 



Note 2. — Method of Cooking unripe Potatoes. 



When the vines decay before the tubers are ripe, a deficiency of fa- 

 rina or starch causes a waxy and disagreeable taste. To obviate this, 

 peel the potatoes and put them in cold water and boil them gently till 

 nearly done. The water should then be drained from them, the pota- 

 toes put on the fire, and then mashed with a large two-tined fork in- 

 stead of a spoon. The fork breaks them into rough pieces, allows the 

 water to escape, and certainly tends very much to improve a watery po- 

 tato. 



Note 3. — Method of storing Potatoes in Pits as practiced in some 



parts of Scotland. 



The potato is an underground production, and to attempt to keep it 



in a sound and healthy state, otherwise than in its natural element, is 



as unnatural as to propose keeping an amphibious animal in a healthy 



