152 Southern Gardener^ s Practical Manual 



DISCOVERY OF A LADT 



In 1900, Mr. J. Sara Pickett, foreman of the Station 

 work, learned that Mrs. E. F. McDowell, of North 

 Carolina, had succeeded in producing a satisfactory ar- 

 ticle by boiling the potatoes before evaporating thera. 

 Acting upon this suggestion, fairly good results were 

 obtained, and a merchantable article produced by boiling 

 in an open kettle, and using again the fruit -evaporator 

 The work, however, was irregularly done, many of the 

 slices being overcooked and hard. 



A sufficient percentage of the output was properly 

 prepared to demonstrate that the method was correct 

 and that satisfactory success was attainable with a suit- 

 able outfit, skilfully handled. To test the keeping 

 qualities of this output, a part of the product remained 

 in ordinary cloth sacks for seventeen months, having 

 passed through two winters and one summer in a perfect 

 state of preservation. 



A COMPLETE SUCCESS 



In the fall of 1901, experiments were made with 

 thirteen different varieties to test their comparative 

 adaptation for the purpose. 



A room was equipped for steam heating in connection 

 with the cannery in the horticultural division of the 

 experiment station, by means of which the work of boil- 

 ing, peeling and evaporating could be more expeditiously 

 and economically performed. 



By means of a derrick used in the cannery, several 



