lo36 
&he  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
October  21,  191G. 
ish  Metal  Tile 
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Determining  the  Starch  in  Potatoes 
Is  there  any  simple  way  of  determin¬ 
ing  the  amount  of  starch  in  potatoes?  I 
would  like  to  select  seed  potatoes  on  the 
basis  of  their  starch,  and  keep  up  the 
selection  for  some  years.  Can  I  do  it,  or 
will  it  require  expensive  analysis? 
Neenah,  Wis.  h.  n. 
There  is  a  very  accurate  method  of  de¬ 
termining  the  starch  in  potatoes  which 
does  not  injure  them  at  all.  It  depends 
on  the  fa'-t  that  the  water,  starch,  and 
non-starch  in  the  tuber  bear  fixed  rela¬ 
tions  (very  like  the  fat,  solids  and  water 
:n  milk),  and.  as  in  the  case  of  milk,  the 
determination  is  made  from  the  density 
/. awards  Patent 
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PRICES  TO  QUICK  BUYERS 
4-6  H.  P.  ONLY  ^  .w- 
Balances  for  Weighing  Fotato  Starch 
of  the  potato.  l»ut  it  requires,  in  order 
to  work  on  a  single  tuber,  the  use*  of  a 
fairly  accurate  scales,  or  balances  which 
will  weigh  to  a  few  grains.  The  method 
is  to  weigh  in  air,  weigh  in  water,  divide 
the  first  weight  by  the  difference  of  the 
first  and  the  second,  and  refer  to  a  table 
which  has  been  calculated  from  the  re¬ 
sults  of  many  experiments. 
Fresh  mature  potatoes  contain  from 
1*%  to  111%  of  starch.  The  exact 
amount,  as  well  as  the  dry  matter,  is 
shown  by  the  specific  gravity,  that  is,  the 
ratio  of  the  weight  to  that  of  an  equal 
bulk  of  water.  To  determine  this  the 
potato,  or  potatoes,  are  Weighed  in  air, 
weighed  in  water,  taking  care  to  see  that 
75 
$123. 
6  to  8  H. 
ENGINE 
COMPLETE 
$197.50 
6  to  8  H.  P. 
SAW  OUTHT 
COMPLETE 
MftVFV  TAI  VOU  CAN  BUV  THE  HEAVI-OUTI  ENGINES 
jviv.it*  j  i  r\  o.  ot th«  lowest iiuidu  piicco ever  fmuird.  O  r 
cnurtmniM  output  our  one-profit  plan  anubl*  uH  la  inv**  you  tho 
Hltfh  Grad*  unheard  of  pile**.  It  }•<  Uk  wonder  of 
thr  «  tiirin»  boKUVJtii  kw  we  can  name  pruyr.,  YOU  SAVE 
MONEY  U  you  act  uvw.  lie  the  first  bayvt*  In  vour  locality  and  an. 
our  AdvertWlnff  p nee.  l^aro  about  Utfa  wonderf ally  made  engine 
by  getting  catalog  loduy. 
Weighing  the  Potato  in  Water 
the  surface  is  free  from  air  bubbles,  and 
the  weight  in  air  divided  by  the  difference 
between  the  weight  in  air  and  water, 
that  is,  the  loss  in  weight. 
For  instance,  if  a  lot  of  tubers  weigh 
50  pounds  in  air  and  four  pounds  in 
water,  50  divided  by  40  gives  1.087, 
which  is  15.4  Cj  starch  and  21.2%  dry 
matter.  The  temperature  should  be  about 
00  deg.  Fahr.,  and  the  practical  stnivh 
yield  will  he  about  14,4%  less,  since 
some  of  the  starch  goes  to  sugar  in  man¬ 
ufacture,  and  there  is  sonic  sugar  in  old 
H  CONSOLIDATED  GASOLINE  ENGINE  COMPANY 
203  eUL.ON  STREET  •  -  NEW  YOLK  CITY 
potatoes. 
PER 
Gallon 
AINT 
I  ORDER  DIRECT  FROM  FACTORY 
We  will  send  you  asmany  gallons  as  you 
I  want  of  the  best  quality  red  or  brown 
BARN  PAINT 
upon  receipt  of  remittance.  We  are  paint  special- 
lets  and  can  supply  you  with  paint  for  any  pur¬ 
pose.  Tell  us  your  wauta  and  let  us  quote  you 
Juw prices.  We  can  BHva  you  money  by  Bhiopti'j? 
direct  from  our  factory.  Satisfaction  guaranteed. 
All  paint  shipped  F.  0.  B.  Jersey  City 
AMALGAMATED  PAINT  CO. 
Factory:  371  WAYNE  ST..  JERSEY  CITY,  N.  J. 
ORE 
.ONEY 
for  tenant  more 
money  for  owner,  in  our 
Active  Fertilizers. 
Just  ask  nearest  office  for 
booklet.  Agents  wanted. 
The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURAL 
CHEMICAL  COMPANY 
New  York.  Baltimore.  Buffalo, 
Philadelphia,  Boston,  Detroit. 
Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  etc. 
Sp*-iti>*  Gravity 
I>ry  >!utter 
Starch 
1.001 
22.7 
16.9 
1.095 
*>*>  () 
17.1 
1.097 
oq  o 
mO«0 
17.5 
1.098 
23.5 
17.7 
1.099 
23.7 
174) 
1.100 
24.0 
18.2 
1.101 
24  2 
18.4 
1.102 
2L4 
18.6 
1.104 
24.8 
19.0 
1.105 
25.0 
19.2 
1.100 
25.2 
19.4 
1.107 
25.5 
19.7 
1.109 
25.9 
20.1 
1.110 
26.1 
20  3 
1.111 
26.3 
20.5 
1.112 
26.5 
20.7 
1.113 
26.7 
20.9 
1.114 
26.9 
21.1 
1.115 
27.2 
21.4 
L117 
2745 
21.8 
1.119 
28.0 
22  2 
1.120 
28.3 
22  5 
1.121 
28.5 
22^7 
1.123 
23.0 
23.1 
I  built  fairly  accurate  balances  when  a 
boy.  The  base  is  a  heavy  planed  plank, 
to  the  back  of  which  an  upright  is 
screwed.  Iu  the  upright  a  sharp  edge  is 
set,  a  broken  knife  blade  did  roc.  The 
beam  is  wood,  18  inches  of  half  inch 
square  maple  will  do  finely.  A  thin  bit 
of  wood — or  a  straw — docs  fur  the  point¬ 
er.  Midway  iu  the  beam  is  the  bearing 
for  the  edge ;  as  I  remember  it  I  used  two 
brass  wires  made  into  very  wide  staples 
and  driven  in,  and  just  nicked  a  bit  for  the 
blade.  For  an  amateur  job  two  wires 
will  work  better  thau  a  plate.  but  a  bit 
of  metal  may  be  set  in  if  lie*  prefers. 
'Che  pans,  which  were  little  cooky  tins 
in  mine,  aiv  hung  by  three  thin  copper 
wires.  Of  course  I  hung  my  pans  at 
equal  heights,  hut  as  this  is  to  be  used 
mostly  for  specific  gravity,  he  should 
follow  the  drawing.  The  lliiri  wire  lie- 
low  the  short  pan  is  essential,  it  should 
be  allowed  for  in  setting  the  balances  and 
if  it  is  changed,  they  must  be  reset.  It 
is  to  hold  the  tuber  later  in  the  water, 
and  one  strand  from  a  flexible  electric 
light  cord  w’.U  do  well.  A  very  thin  wire 
is  used  so  as  not  to  affect  the  result  by 
its  own  specific  gravity,  the  thinnest  cop¬ 
per  or  brass  wire  which  can  be  found 
veiuped  into  a  very  usual  medium  be¬ 
tween  rlii*  producer  and  the  consumer. 
The  necessity  of  just  such  a  medium  is 
very  apparent  to  me  as  we  read  about 
this  great  milk  strike.  While  1  am  not 
in  favor  of  our  Government  going  into 
business,  in  these  times  of  rapid  business 
changes,  we  should  give  some  considera¬ 
tion  to  the  pro-motion  of  honest  pursuit 
as  well  as  tie  protection  of  established 
Fghts.  Preparedness  and  efficiency  will 
be  but  idle  dreams  if  something  is  uot 
done  to  promote  the  friendly  relations 
between  the  man  who  produces  bread  and 
the  man  who  cats  it.  I  know  of  no  vo¬ 
cation  that  is  more  deserving  and  more 
neglected  than  the  agricultural  class. 
AI.FKKI)  l).  VAN  RUI’.KN. 
27th  District.  Greene  and  Ulster  Coun¬ 
ties. 
should  be  used.  The  water  may  be  in 
any  convenient  vessel,  but  it,  as  well  as 
the  potatoes,  should  be  about  <J0  dog. 
Fhr.  as  the  table  is  made  to  fit  that 
temperature. 
Weights  are  a  mart*  difficult  matter. 
The  ordinary  “English”  weights  are  sim¬ 
ply  out  of  the  ouestion,  unless  he  gets  a 
set  of  grains  in  multiples  of  tou  weights, 
and  pays  no  attention  to  the  larger  divi¬ 
sions,  uses  them  *m  a  metric  system. 
Metric  weights  are  really  the  only  ones 
available,  and  sets  of  those  cost  a  few 
dollars.  But,  fortunately,  the  nickel  five- 
cut  piece  weighs  just  five  grams,  a  dol¬ 
lar's  worth  of  course  weigh  a  hundred 
grams,  and  if  he  can  gel  some  bright, 
n*  w  ones  from  a  bank,  lie  can  work  out 
bis  own  weights,  taking  the  precaution 
to  weigh  any  new  weight  he  may  make, 
from  a  bottle  with  shut  in  it,  say,  on 
each  beam  of  his  balance,  to  cut  out  er¬ 
rors  of  construction.  I  sec  I  forgot  to 
say  that  the  balance  arm  should  have 
a  rider  for  fine  adjustment,  a  bit  of  thin 
load  set  in  place,  when  the  place  is  found, 
by  bending  tight,  will  do  the  trick. 
v.  n.  o. 
The  Florida  State  Plant  Board 
Not  long  ago  we  received  from  one  of 
our  Florida  readers  a  statement  about 
some  citrus  trees  which  he  hou-ht  from 
a  Florida  nursery  and  had  planted.  He 
said  that  agent#  of  the  State  bad  come 
to  his  orchard  condemning  the  trees, 
and  urging  him  to  have  them  destroyed, 
and  naturally  he  wanted  to  know  what 
authority  the  State  had  to  enter  his 
grounds  and  make  such  an  examination. 
It  appears  that  Florida  has  what  is 
known  as  a  Slat**  Plant  Board  located 
iit  Gainesville.  This  board  is  composed 
of  fruit  growers,  and  there  is  a  Plant 
<  'otnmissioncr.  an  entomologist,  and  var¬ 
ious  inspectors. 
It  appears  that  the  man  who  writes  us 
bought  a  number  of  orange  and  grape¬ 
fruit  trees  from  a  nursery  and  planted 
I  hem.  The  Plant  Commissioner  found 
i  hat  shipments  of  trees  from  th‘s  nursery 
has  since  developed  the  dangerous  disease 
know  n  as  "canker,”  and  in  order  to  take 
every  possible  step  to  prevent  the  spread 
of  this  disease,  trees  sent  out  by  this 
nursery  within  several  years  are  con¬ 
sidered  dangerous.  The  trees  were  in¬ 
spected,  but  show  n*»  evidence  of  canker. 
At  the  same  time  the  disease  is  so  dan¬ 
gerous,  and  other  trees  from  this  nurs¬ 
ery  have  been  so  badly  infected,  that  the 
Commissioner  f**lt  that  it  would  be  bet¬ 
ter  and  Siifer  iu  the  end  to  have  these 
trees  taken  up  and  destroyed.  It  was 
either  that  or  run  the  chance  of  having 
them  develop  the  canker  later,  which  of 
course  would  menu  an  immediate  de- 
•  rease  iu  tlw  value  of  tin*  entire  orchard, 
and  surrounding  orchards  as  well.  This 
grower  was  uut  ordered  or  directed  to 
destroy  the  trees,  but  be  was  simply 
asked  to  do  so  as  a  matter  of  precau¬ 
tion.  The  Plant  Board  lms  no  legal 
authority  to  condemn  such  trees  until 
rimy  show  the  canker.  As  they  came 
from  an  infected  nursery  the  Commis¬ 
sioner  thinks  they  are  dangerous,  and 
for  Ins  own  safety  as  well  as  that  of  the 
public  he  would  be  wist-  to  destroy  the 
trees  at  once.  That  is  the  situation  as 
it  stands  in  this  case  and  of  course  the 
grower  must  decide  the  matter  for  him¬ 
self.  The  trees  do  not  show  the  d'sease 
yet,  but  are  lik*»ly  to  do  so.  Shall  he 
let  them  go  as  they  are  until  they  do 
show  it,  taking  the  risk  of  infection,  or 
shall  he  destroy  them  at  once,  and  thus 
prevent  all  possible  chance  of  having  the 
disease?  It  is  a  good  plan  for  a  farmer 
to  ask  himself  that  question  with  regard 
to  such  trees,  and  sec  just  what  he  would 
do. 
Candidates  for  N.  Y.  Senate  Go  on  Record 
1  am  heartily  in  accord  with  the  pol'cy 
*  f  the  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets) 
and  believe  that  the  same  should  be  con¬ 
tinued.  If  my  recollection  serves  me 
right,  my  vote  in  the  last  Legislature 
bears  me  out  in  this  statement 
CIIAKUM  P.  NEWTON. 
43d  District,  Livingston  and  Steuben 
Counties. 
I  wish  to  stat*-  that  I  am  not  only 
iu  favor  of  conPnuing  ibe  Department  of 
Foods  and  Markets,  but  of  extending  its 
powers  and  operation.  If  this  movement 
has  the  approval  and  interest;  of  the 
farmers.  1  believe  that  it  could  be  de- 
I  assure  you  that  I  am  in  favor  of  the 
continuance  aud  strengthening  of  the  De¬ 
partment  of  Foods  and  Markets,  and  ap¬ 
preciate  the  necessity  and  the  work  which 
it  has  done  in  establishing  a  hetter  mar¬ 
ket  for  the  products  of  the  farm. 
CHARLES  W.  W ALTON. 
27th  District,  Ulster  and  Greene  Coun¬ 
ties. 
I  was  born  ami  lived  on  a  farm  until 
I  was  15  years  of  age.  After  that  time, 
spent  the  Summer  for  several  years,  work¬ 
ing  on  a  farm,  and  uow  own  a  farm  and 
live  in  a  farming  community.  So  I  know 
something  of  a  fanner’s  life.  My  inter¬ 
ests  and  sympathies  arc  with  the  farmers, 
mid  I  am  in  favor  of  their  having  a 
square  deal,  which  1  do  not  believe  they 
in  all  respects,  now  have.  Most  unequiv¬ 
ocally.  I  fav<u*  a  continuance  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets, 
and  1  luit  it  have  a  proper  financial  sup¬ 
port  and  le  efficiently  administered,  and 
will  \nte  for  aud  favor  measures  to  that 
end.  1  am  greatly  pleased  with  your 
exposure  of  the  frauds  aud  humbugs 
y.bii-h  pivy  upon  mankind,  and  also  grati¬ 
fied  at  your  making  commission  mer¬ 
chant.-,  consignees,  etc.,  settle  for  ship¬ 
ments  to  them.  .JOHN  B.  CONWAY. 
2 1'th  District,  Saratoga  and  Washing¬ 
ton  Counties. 
I  have  in  tin*  past  supported  the  De¬ 
partment  of  Foods  and  Markets,  and 
shall  continue  ro  do  so,  provided  I  am 
convinced  tin*  people  of  the  State,  and 
articularly  those  in  the  district  which  1 
ove  the  honor  to  represent,  feel  that  it 
is  a  benefit  and  should  be  controlled. 
There  are  now  numerous  investigations 
being  had  into  this  subject,  and  the  in¬ 
formation  derived  therefrom  should  be  of 
great  value  in  enabling  legislators  and 
other  State  officials  to  determine  the 
course  to  be  pursued.  I  shall  give  the 
reports  of  i  lies*:*  various  investigators 
careful  consideration,  ami  act  as  the  best 
interest  of  the  greatest  number  of  people 
demand.  geo.  h.  whitney. 
3l)th  District,  Saratoga  and  Washing¬ 
ton  Counties. 
If  elected  State  Senator  on  November 
7th  I  would  vote  at  Albany,  as  I  uow 
advocate  at  home  in  my  paper,  the 
Strengthening  of  the  present  Department 
of  Foods  and  Markets  not  only  with  a 
proper  appropriation,  but  to  increase  its 
scope  and  power  to  make  it  more  effi¬ 
cient  and  useful  to  the  farmers  and  fruit 
raisers  of  my  district  and  the  State,  and 
he  a  substantial  benefit  to  the  consumer 
in  the  metropolitan  districts  of  New 
Yo*-k.  .JAMES  A.  ZICKLER. 
20th  District.  Columbia,  Dutchess  and 
Putnam  Counties. 
I  shall  be  in  favor  of  any  legislation 
which  would  deal  with  the  subject  you 
mention  iu  a  scientific  manner.  I  am 
not.  sufficiently  informed  to  be  able  to 
say  that  the  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets  is  efficient;  but  if  it.  is  doing  a 
good  work  then  that:  work  ought  to  be 
continued.  It  might  help  the  cause  if  1 
should  become  informed,  for  I  stand 
ready  to  espouse  any  measure  that  is  for 
the  improvement  of  society. 
G.  B.  WELLINGTON. 
20th  Distinct,  Rensselaer  County. 
T  am  glad  to  tell  you  that  I  aui  not 
ou’y  in  favor  of  the  Department  of  Foods 
aud  Markets,  but  regard  the  step  taken 
in  establishing  the  Department  as  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  solution  of  the  producer’s 
anti  consumers’  problem. 
It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  as  a 
member  of  the  11)14  Legislature,  which 
established  the  Department,  I  not  only 
voted  in  favor  of  the  bill  but  actively 
supported  it.  But  if  elected  I  will  do 
a'l  T  can  to  encourage  aud  help  the  De¬ 
partment.  GEO.  M.  HAIGHT. 
38th  District,  Onondaga  County. 
Alfalfa  and  Canada  Thistles 
On  page  1132  J.  8.  H.,  Ohio,  inquires 
how  to  destroy  Canada  thistles,  answered 
Ly  F.  L.  Allen.  1  think  Mi*.  Allen  has 
to  learn  what  killed  the  thistles;  he 
certainly  did  not  smother  them  with  Al¬ 
falfa.  for  they  would  flourish  as  welt  in 
Alfalfa  as  any  other  crop  if  it  were  not 
for  the  cutting.  To  kill  Canada  thistles 
is  very  easy  if  one  is  very  persistent. 
I  et  them  make  a  good  top  iu  the  first 
of  season,  or  Spring,  but  do  not  let.  them 
bloom.  Cut  them  close  to  ground ;  when 
they  have  made  another  top,  as  they  will 
in  three  to  four  weeks,  cut  again.  Re¬ 
peat  the  cutting  after  the  top  has  well 
started  three  or  four  times  in  one  year. 
They  may  grow  top  enough  to  cut  twice 
the  second  year,  but  never  any  more  from 
the  old  roots.  J.  c.  l*. 
Orwell.  Bn. 
