10 BULLETIN 1055, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
apple corers and vegetable peeling knives retailing at 10 or 15 cents 
(figs. 2 and 3) was used for this purpose. In potato-chip factories 
a number of women or girls are employed to go over the potatoes as 
they are emptied from the peeler to cut out the eyes and imperfect 
places. 
Some form of vegetable slicer is essential, as it is impossible to 
shee the potatoes thinly enough and evenly enough by hand. Satis- 
factory slicers may be obtained, either turned by hand power or 
motor driven. A small hand-power slicer used in 1914-15 did not 
prove satisfactory for laboratory tests, for the slices were thicker at 
Fig. 7.—Draining the excess oil from the potato chips by spreading them on brown paper. 
one side than the other, because of an imperfection in the casting of 
the knives. As it was necessary to secure uniformly even slices for 
experimental work, a larger slicer, also hand driven, was obtained 
at the beginning of the 1915-16 season (fig. 10). A number of large 
power-driven mechanical slicers, suitable for use in factories, are 
on the market. 
When making chips at home the slices may be soaked in any kind 
of pans that are available. In factories they are generally soaked 
in tubs with fresh water fed in through rubber hose or in big 
tanks especially built for. the purpose with fresh water flowing in 
at one end and an outlet pipe at the other end to carry off the wash 
water and starch. When working with large quantities it is gener- 
ally found worth while to salvage the potato starch deposited by 
this wash water and by the waste from the potato peeler. 
