THE POTATO AND THE POMATO 



importance of selection is shown, each suc- 

 ceeding generation having an increase of the 

 desired characteristic over the former. 



Nearly twelve millions of dollars are in- 

 vested in the United States alone in the 

 manufacture of starch. With twenty-five per 

 cent of starch -content added to a given thou- 

 sand pounds of potatoes, there being no 

 attendant increase in the cost of manufacture, 

 the economic importance of breeding for 

 starch becomes apparent. In Europe the 

 matter has received much attention, and efforts 

 have been made to increase the amount of 

 starch. Along with the increase in starch 

 supply which Mr. Burbank makes available 

 for the whole world simply by an intelligent 

 following of the lines he has laid down, comes 

 increase in productivity, for he is able to 

 unite these two characteristics in the same 

 plant. 



In the production of alcohol for manufactur- 

 ing purposes the potato is coming more and 

 more into favor. The starch is converted into 

 maltose by the diastase of malt, the maltose 

 being easily acted upon by ferment for the 

 actual production of the alcohol. An increase 



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