156 THE POTATO 



age per capita demands could be greatly increased 

 by attention to this detail. 



W. C. Brown Presiident of the New York Cen- 

 tral Lines, says that since eating scientifically ir- 

 rigation grown potatoes from Mt. Sopris Farm, 

 where the moisture content supply is controlled, 

 his family eat four times as many as when they got 

 the ordinary run of the market. The same report 

 has come from many other epicures. 



Ninety per cent, of the potatoes used in hotels, 

 dining cars and restaurants are pared. Economy 

 in the cost of producing food of high quality for 

 the table is a question that the modern chef and 

 manager give the utmost consideration. For this 

 reason his ideal potato would weigh fourteen to 

 sixteen ounces, be smooth and even and was the 

 smallest possible percentage in paring. Of course 

 all cannot be this size, but the smaller ones* are 

 used for baking. The ideal potato would be a 

 little smaller than the hotel man likes to pare, and 

 would weigh twelve ounces, have smooth, clean 

 skin, shallow eyes, smooth eyebrows that do not 

 protrude, and as nearly as possible the shape and 

 size of a turkey egg. Potatoes that weigh eight to 

 sixteen ounces are those most highly valued for 

 the best trade. 



Several years ago, at the beginning of his dining 

 car trade, the senior author of this book went to 

 Mr. John F. Smart, superintendent of dining cars 

 of the New York Central Railroad, with a sample 

 of the smooth, even potatoes Mt. Sopris Farm 

 produces. By actual demonstration he was able 

 to show that these potatoes at double the prevail- 

 ing market price, would make a saving because of 

 their evenness and smaller percentage of waste in 

 paring and preparing for the table. At least 20 



