Proceedings of the Farmers* Club. 519 



material would, as a matter of course, be rapidly dried, without the 

 possibility of burning, and without any change in its saccharine mat- 

 ter as might occur at a high heat. 



"When the sliced tubers have been thoroughly dried it only remains, 

 in order to fit them for sale or use, to convert them into flour or fine 

 meal. This can be more effectually accomplished by grinding in an 

 iron mill. The disiccated product is very hard and tough, and will 

 be far more likely to yield to the disintegrating agency of hardened 

 cutting plates than to the mashing and crusliing action of burr stones. 



This statement would be incomplete without mention of another 

 use to which the desiccated sweet potato is capable of extended appli- 

 cation ; that of a substitute for coffee. Broken into coarse pieces, 

 roasted and ground, it forms the closest imitation of real coffee that 

 the writer has ever seen. Unprincipled dealers will be very likely to 

 adopt it as an adulterant, and it would be a good idea if it was placed 

 in the market under its proper designation, so that people might pur- 

 chase it at a fair price, and use as much or as little mixed with the 

 true coffee as they should find desirable. , 



As a pendant to the subject more immediately in hand, the writer 

 would mention that another and quite different plan of desiccating 

 the sweet potato Avas proposed some years ago, in which the potatoes 

 were first cooked and afterward dried. Thus prepared they were 

 claimed to be fitted for transportation, without deterioration, to any 

 part of the world ; but whether the method was ever put in practice 

 he cannot say. 



In closing this paper, the writer would express the opinion that not 

 only the sweet potato but many other kinds of vegetables may be 

 converted by desiccation into valuable commercial articles of food. He 

 would urge further experiment in this direction, riot only because of 

 the profit that would inure to those who may make useful discoveries 

 of this character, but also for the good that must result from them to 

 the community at large. If that man is a benefactor of his race who, 

 as the old saying goes, makes two slender grass blades spring up 

 where only one grew before, how much more is he whose efforts can. 

 meet, even in tiie least, the world's increasing outcry for bread. 



TTixTEKiNG Sweet Potatoes. 

 Mr. David Dutton, Richland, Keokuk county. Mo., says there is no 

 difficulty in keeping sweet potatoes dry and mealy all winter. He 

 spreads sand on a kiln, and makes it perfectly diy, then packs the pota- 



