146 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



tect what has hitherto evaded the severest scrutiny of scienti- 

 fic research. 



Arresting the disease has in some instances been successful, 

 by mowing off the tops when they are found defective. This 

 practice would be injurious to healthy plants, but may be 

 adopted, like that of cutting grain when struck b"y rust, if it 

 will secure even a part of the crop. When disease appears 

 in such as are dug, they should be carefully sorted and the 

 sound ones well dried, then placed separately in layers and 

 covered with ashes, burnt clay, or fine dry mold, which act 

 as absorbents of moisture and prevent contagion from such 

 as may be imperceptibly affected. They may also be cut in 

 slices and dried, or crushed and the farinaceous part ex- 

 tracted. By this means the potato will be made to yield 

 nearly all its nutriment. It is found that this disease affects 

 the tissues (the nitrogenized or albumenous part) of the potato 

 only; and for this reason, potatoes which have not been 

 too long or too deeply injured, will yield nearly their full 

 amount of fat for animals or starch for the manufacturer. 



USES. Besides being an indispensable vegetable, potatoes 

 are boiled and mixed with flour for bread, to which they im- 

 part a desirable moisture and an agreeable flavor. They 

 are sliced, dried and ground and much used in Europe as 

 flour, and by the confectioners. They are also manufactured 

 into tapioca and when nicely prepared, the product is not 

 distinguishable from that of the manioc. In all of these and 

 some other forms, they enter into consumption as human 

 food. They are also used in large quantities by the manu- 

 facturers of starch ; to some extent for distilling ; and in a 

 less degree for making sugar. The refuse of the pulp after 

 extracting the starch, as well as the liquor drained from it, 

 is used for cleansing woollens and silks, which it effects with- 

 out injury to the color. But by far the greatest use of pota- 

 tatoes in this country is for stock feeding. They are eaten 

 with avidity by all the brute creation either cooked or raw. 

 For cattle and sheep, they are equally nutritious in either 

 condition. For horses they are improved by steaming or 

 baking. Swine and most poultry will subsist on them raw, 

 but will fatten on them only when cooked. Their good ef- 

 fects are most enhanced by mixing with meal when they are 

 hot, which partially cooks it. 



