Preserving Potatoes.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 197, 22 November 1880, Page 2

Preserving Potatoes.

If New Zealand cannot compete with the United States in many of its'products, there are some things in which it can and should compete. The following extract from the San Francisco Commetcial News is to the point. It tells its own tale. Why not go in for an export of preserved potatoes to England as California has done ? Your labor is quite as cheap, and you can grow equally good potatoes. Let some of your enterprising capitalists try. The machinery may be bought, I have no doubt. The Commercial News says Recently an important industry has sprung up in this State in the way of preserving potatoes for a foreign market. A machine has been invented for pressing and preserving potatoes in such a manner that they may be dried and kept for a number of years in any climate. No exidisation or fermentation takes place in the process, and after the potatoes go through the entire process they retain to a great extent their natural taste and original freshness. Shipments made to England during the past- year by Falkner, Bell and Co. have attracted attention, and the demand . for California preserved potatoes in that country already exceeds the supply. The first shipment to Liverpool brought the sum of 160 dol. per ton over all expense of shipment. Last year about 20 tons were shipped from San. Francisco, which brought 45 English shillings per hundredweight, or at the rate of 3dol. per sack for green potatoes. At Areata, Humboldt County, a strong company has been organised to preserve potatoes by this new process. Ventura has an apparatus in working order, and will handle a large quantity of potatoes this fall. San Francisco merchants and capitalists evince a lively interest in the enterprise, and are watching results closely. The testimony of'English merchants, is to the effectJ that. the products are superior and in active demand.