Potato Studies. 



19 



The Digestibility of Raw Potatoes and Cooked Potatoes 



Compared 



In a feeding experiment with sheep in which hay and po- 

 tatoes were fed the following comparisons in digestibility be- 

 tween raw and steamed potatoes were made : 



Table Showing the Digestion Coefficients for Razv and Cooked 

 Potatoes When Fed to Sheep 





Dry 

 matter 



Organic 

 matter 



Protein 



Nitrogen- 

 free extract 





% 



% 



% 



% 



Raw 



76 



77 



44.6 



90.3 



Cooked 



80 



81 



43.4 



92.1 



While the differences are not great in this one trial with 

 4 sheep the dry matter, the organic matter, and the starch of 

 the nitrogen- free extract was somewhat more completely di- 

 gesed in the cooked than in the raw potatoes. 



The Feeding Value of Raw as Compared With Cooked 



Potatoes 



Two lots of 6 each of pigs of the same breeding, size and 

 apparent thrift, were selected and fed for 44 days with a ration 

 consisting of 15 pounds of potatoes, one pound of corn meal 

 and 4 quarts of milk. With one lot the potatoes were fed raw 

 and to the other the potatoes were steamed before being fed. 

 It was planned to continue this way for 6 weeks and then 

 change the ration so that the pigs that had been getting raw 

 would get cooked potatoes in the next period. But it was 

 found that the pigs that had been having cooked potatoes would 

 not eat the raw potatoes. Therefore the experiment was stopped 

 at the end of the first period. The pigs fed with the raw pota- 

 toes gained 60 pounds each in the 44 days and those fed 

 steamed potatoes gained 67 pounds each, or a gain of 7 pounds 

 in live weight in 44 days due so far as anything in the experi- 

 ment disclosed to the cooking of the potatoes. 



