DEHYDEATIOHr OF FBUITS AND VEGETARLES. 29 



factor of the cost of seed, for, as you know, in the second-crop plant- 

 ing cuttings or fragments of the vines are used, and it is only the 

 cost of labor, whereas with the Irish potato you have the cost of the 

 seed. The fact is that you have two crops, not two crops on the same 

 land, but two planting seasons, and the fact that the sweet potato 

 contains less moisture than the Irish potato, making it easier to dry, 

 the further fact is that it contains when dried as high as 21 per cent 

 of cane sugar, making it a sweet product, and, added to that the 

 fact, to which I can testify — I have here the recipes from about 40 

 people— -that it makes a very valuable food, and one equivalent in 

 its calories, or almost equivalent, to that of corn meal, and is suitable 

 for the making of pastries, of cookies, cakes, and all sorts of prod- 

 ucts of that kind which are easily introduced because they are sweet. 

 If you will look through that list of recipes and comments. Sena- 

 tor, you will find, I think scarcely a criticism or objection to the im- 

 mediate use of sweet potatoes. 



The Chairman. Have they not developed a breakfast food out of 

 sweet potatoes? 



Mr. Faiechiu). They have developed breakfast foods and they 

 are very good breakfast foods, indeed. I have not the actual food 

 value of them, but I can readily realize that if they are made en- 

 tirely of sweet potato they should have approximately the food 

 value of corn-meal mush. 



Senator Smith of Georgia. Let me add one thing to your sug- 

 gestion, that they have raised as high as TOO bushels of sweet pota- 

 toes on 1 acre. 



Mr. Faiechild. Yes; immense exceptional yields. It would open 

 the door to the building of a great sweet-potato industry in the 

 South. 



Coming down to the estimate of cost, the closest estimate I have 

 been able to get from others, because, gentlemen, I have not run a 

 factory myself, naturally, was approximately a half cent a pound; 

 that is to say, a biishel of potatoes weighing 60 pounds could 

 be reduced to a meal for approximately 30 cents. 



The Chairman. You would have about 10 pounds, approximately ? 



Mr. Faiechild. And also have 10 pounds of meal.- 



The Chaieman. Doctor, in connection with the first proposition 

 you advanced, if the Government should establish plants in con- 

 nection with the land^grant colleges, or demonstration plants in 

 some of these States, where vegetables are largely grown, would 

 not that assist your propaganda in the introduction of these 



Mr. Faiechild. I think it would, but the bill would have to be 

 materially altered and so plain that the funds would not be used 

 up almost immediately in the purchasing of the machinery and 

 especially in the buying of the fresh vegetables for the purpose of 

 dtying with no opportunity to sell those products. 



Senator Smith of Georgia. Doctor, the drying would have to be 



a revolving fund? i • j: j 



Mr Faiechild. It might have to be a revolving fund. 

 Senator Smith of Georgia. They ought to have to dry, buy, sell. 

 Mr Faiechild. As in the present bill, which authorizes the pur- 

 chase' of $6,000,000 worth of seeds, along those lines. 



