SOLANACE^ 585 



by rasping machines. The pulp is passed through sieves, 

 which separate the fiber from the hquor containing starch. 

 The hquor is allowed to stand, and during this time white 

 starch settles in layers at the bottom of the receptacle. The 

 starch is drawn off, purified by allowing it to run over tables, 

 similar to those used in the purification of corn starch (page 

 184), and finally dried. "Culls" are profitably employed in 

 starch manufacture. 



Alcohol. — In Germany, the potato is used extensively for 

 alcohol manufacture. In this country, it is too expensive 

 for this purpose. The process of converting the starch to 

 alcohol is very similar to that used in the manufacture of 

 alcohol from corn starch. 



Production of Potatoes.' — The world's output of potatoes 

 in 1912 was 5,872,953,000 bushels. Of this amount, Ger- 

 many produced 1,844,863,000 bushels, or about 31 per cent, 

 of the total. Russia proper ranked second with a production 

 of 925,775,000 bushels. France third with 552,074,000 

 bushels, and the United States fourth with 420,647,000 

 bushels. The five leading potato States in 1915 were Minne- 

 sota, Wisconsin, New York, Maine and Michigan. 



SOLANUM MELONGENA (Eggplant, Guinea Squash) 



Description. — This species is an annual, erect, branching 

 herb, finally becoming subwoody, 2 to 3 feet tall, woolly or 

 scurfy, and spiny. The leaves (Fig. 239) are large, 6 to 9 

 inches long, sinuately lobed, ovate or ovate-oblong, thick, 

 becoming almost smooth above but remaining densely hairy 

 beneath. The flowers are solitary or in small clusters in the 

 axils of branches; the calyx is woolly or spiny, the corolla 

 purphsh and pubescent (Fig. 239). Parthenocarpy has been 

 observed in this species. Artificial pollination is practiced 



