210 



quality, will realise the highest prices for culinary 

 purposes. In doing this there will always be sufficient 

 spoiled and inferior ones among them to supply the 

 wants of those who are open to purchase poor quality. 



Feeding Damaged Potatoes. 



Although potatoes are not possessed of such excep- 

 tionally valuable feeding properties as to place them 

 as a crop beyond all other root crops for cabbages 

 yield on similar treatment more feeding value per acre 

 even than swedes their value cannot be ignored, and 

 it is fortunate that they possess it to so great a degree 

 as they do, for this prevents the loss which would be 

 incurred when they cannot find a sale on the ordinary 

 markets. Those potatoes which still remain firm, 

 although attacked by disease, are also valuable as food 

 for farm stock and for the production of starch. 

 There is practically little loss of feeding matter in the 

 tubers until decomposition has gone so far that the 

 diseased portions go pulpy. The disease first affects the 

 structural parts ; consequently, if they are at once con- 

 sumed the full feeding value is obtained. They should, 

 however, be cooked. This makes them more palatable 

 and more digestible, and at the same time totally 

 destroys the disease. As dirt is commonly found 

 adhering to them, and the soft, pulpy parts are best 

 taken out, they should be washed. The cylindrical 

 root washer is the most effective cleaner, but a cheap 

 arrangement can be made by placing a loose wooden 



