99 



unsaleable, except to meet a very low-class trade, or 

 as food for farm stock. The flavour should be mild, 

 and free from earthiness. Many otherwise good 

 potatoes are spoiled by a tendency to develop tubers, 

 which split in the centre during growth, leaving a 

 hollow space ; when this occurs a hard, dark-coloured 

 core forms. It was for this reason that the Champion 

 so soon went out of cultivation in England. In 

 Ireland, where the practice of cooking potatoes with 

 their skins on them, and serving them in that con- 

 dition, commonly prevails, this objection had little 

 weight with consumers, as they cut off the sound part 

 and left the core, and this potato is still largely 

 cultivated. Where potatoes are mashed, or cooked 

 under other circumstances which prevent the con- 

 venient discarding of objectionable portions, these 

 hollow cores are a decided disadvantage. It is, 

 perhaps, only fair to potatoes to state that they are 

 very frequently cooked in a careless manner, with 

 little regard to their peculiarities, many of which 

 could be overcome if due attention and skill were 

 bestowed on the cooking. A potato which cooks to a 

 mealy condition is a very digestible food, as with 

 proper mastication the whole of the starch contained 

 in it is thoroughly acted upon by the saliva, but a 

 tough potato is a severe tax on all but the most 

 vigorous digestions. This one point alone is of sufficient 

 value to make it worth the consumer's while to pay the 

 difference charged for potatoes of good quality beyond 

 that charged for those of inferior quality. 



