Uses of the Potatoe. 39 



Among extraordinary applications of the potatoe, may be 

 mentioned cleaning woollens, and making wine and ardent 

 spirits. 



Cleaning Woollens. The refuse of the potatoes used in 

 making starch, when taken from the sieve, possesses the prop- 

 erty of cleansing woollen cloths, without injuring their color ; 

 and the water decanted from the starch powder is excellent 

 for cleansing silks, without the slightest injury to the color. 



Wine and ardent spirits of a good quality are made from 

 potatoes. Under the influence of certain chemical agents, 

 which it is not my province here to speak of particularly, 

 starch is converted into sugar, and this sugar, by fermenta- 

 tion, yields spirits. On the European continent potatoe 

 spirit is almost universally used ; and in flavor it so resem- 

 bles brandy that it is well known that a large quantity of the 

 French brandy brought into London, is potatoe spirit from 

 Hamburg, colored with burned sugar. 



On converting potatoes into flour, Mr. Abiel Abbott, of 

 Sidney, Me., thus writes to the Kennebec Journal : 



" After much study and many experiments, I have made a 

 discovery which I think will, with that encouragement it 

 merits, be of great importance to the people of this state and 

 all others similarly situated. 



" In 1832 I was strongly impressed that flour might be ob- 

 tained from the potatoe ; accordingly I ventured an experi- 

 ment, the result of which was, eight pounds of flour from the 

 bushel. I then suspended my experiments until the winter 

 of 1844, when I resumed them, and found the result to be the 

 same as 1832, that is, eight pounds of fine flour from ^h 

 bushel. Owing to a deficiency of gluten good bread cannot 

 be made from it alone, but when mixed with equal parts of 

 wheaten flour, the bread made from it is much better than 

 that which is made from all wheaten flour, that is, in the 

 estimation of those who have eaten the bread. 



