180 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



should be boiled, or, ratlier, steamed before using. 

 The large quantity of water they contain in propor- 

 tion to the farina proves the necessity of this prac- 

 tice in their preparation as an article of food. 



The farina or flour of potatoes is the best pro- 

 duced from any plant, and is used in large quantities 

 by those bakers that furnish the finest kinds of bread 

 and pastry. The great superiority of the bread in 

 Paris over that of any other European city is owing 

 to the more extensive use of potato flour. It is cal- 

 culated that from 40 to 50,000 tons of potatoes are 

 used for making flour in the immediate vicinity of 

 the French capital ; and extensive manufactories, 

 worked by steam, for reducing the roots to pulp and 

 extracting the starch, have been erected. The starch, 

 after being washed from the pulp, is thoroughly 

 dried, then ground, and packed in sacks for use. 

 Potato flour can be kept an indefinite time without 

 becoming sour or losing its fine qualities. 



Potatoes, in addition to their valuable qualities as 

 an article of food, can be used for several other pur- 

 poses. They make excellent molasses ; and a large 

 manufactory of this substance was carried on for 

 some time by Mr. Guthrie, of Sackett's Harbour. 

 No method of crystallizing the molasses, or making it 

 into sugar, has yet been discovered, though it is not 

 improbable, were the attention of chymists directed 

 to that point, it might be done. The greater quan- 

 tity of sugar contained in the beet will, however, it 

 IS likely, prevent any effort to extend the manufac- 

 ture from the potato. 



" The pulp of the potato from which the starch 

 has been extracted is much used for cleansing wool- 

 len goods, a property it possesses without injuring 

 their colour ; and the water decanted from the starch 

 powder is excellent for cleansing silks, without the 

 least detriment to the colour." — Loudon. 



In the North of Germany, Prussia, and in Russia, 

 immense quantities of ardent spirits are made from 



