POTATO FLOUR MILL

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 540, 15 June 1920, Page 3

POTATO FLOUR MILL

MANUFACTURE OF "FARINA" FOR HUMAN CONS MP lON. BY-PRODUCTS FOR FODDER. § _ f Following up our recent leading article *flvoc£l#rfg local farmers into the subject of potato ftotpnills, wemovJKJmblish the following interesting information secured by the'fcwfftesy of the Department of Agriculture, Wellington, Which particulars we *. commend to the earnest consideration of atf;Who wish to see the F potato market stabilised. jf" f * MANUFACTURE 4R. FA*INA FRoJ POTATOES. (By H. W. RICHARDS, MsJjgbf Director, ok the British Farina »■ Mills, Ltd., in the JournaPfiftthe Board of Agriculture, October, .019). X j It has become a platitude to of the great lessons impressed upon this country by tthe, war has been the need to make ourselves more nearly self-supporting. Yet those who have appreciated this lesson will find ever-fre*h interest in each new example of successful effort in the direction of home production. New industries have been springing |ip as British enterprise :i.»s come forward to »swer this among them all none can rank higher, in importance thalF«rose which tend to foster and develop the interests of |fe|jP" l % e - u is with an exam P le of such an industry that this pl%|ls to deal, namely, the production of potato Hour, known % trade as Farina. at Prior to the war use of potatoes was unknown in this country, though Prpnii ,JslW an d. and Ja P an had developed it with great benefit to a|riculffflN| and their export trade. Germany had five times as mlch land per 100 acres under potatoes aa we had, and it is a wellrecognised fact that her resources in this direction constituted thAmain factor in her resistance to the blockade.»o«r own tardiness » appreciating fully the value of the potato has been made aaod tdta.large extent during the years of %, the war, and it rema»WLgo|on and avail ourselves still further - - x %t the wealth patent Jh ourfftato crops. ■ Oaring 'filLWsJ/the British Farina JBills, Ltd., arranged to furnish howiPfops of this valuable c«modity to replace those previoudlvjdjbta'tnSf from Germany, and it has not only succeeded in producing goods\aual in quality to tJFse of Continental firms of ;.!s>ng MBprience, butls now expanding In such a scale as promises ' to ttrp*jrtjh4jw whole V the Home mariet. £ Contrary usuallf conveyed by the term "potalljkflour," this ptocffict does not consist of potatoes dried and pulverO§d, the pure starch separated from the rest of the pota% and catoadfarina. ThlWrt playe«|bv starch in the life activity of the potato is of chemistry oPWture simple constituents of food and water drawn from tlkplant's For the purpose of transport in the sap readily slanged into the form of sugar, which is soluble and can beTßtoeyedtto one part for growth and to another part for storage in mm*- In the latter case it is deposited as starch grains oi microscopic size. This explanation makes clear the advantage in, flowing the haulm to die down before the potato crop is lifted, so that the sap may be withdrawn to the tubers and r there deposit its strength as grains of starch. ' The value of the farina industry to the farming interests is so apparent as to need little emphasis. Absorbing as it does quantities of potatoes running into thousands of tons per week, it affords a steady market of great value to those who appreciate quick sales. It is a market of wider scope than the farmer has had when supplying potatoes solely for table use, for size is not of so great importance, and potatoes which are not fit for table use can be consumed nv, large quantities. Further, a great economy is effected with partially diseased material which was previously wasted. As all growers are aware, some forms of potato disease leave a considerable part of the tuber quite sound, yet crops attacked this way have had to be written off in the past as a comfrdat* loss because of theirunfltness for human consumption. The Vina factories afford the farmer a ready market for such goods X the basis of the strict value of that part of the crop which remains sound. In other words, if one-half of each potato has been 4tftgped by blight, the other sound half will still fetch its value Tor "starch making. ** Again, the output of by-products from this industry will prove of use to the farmer. By'means of auxiliary plant in these mills the potato residues, which still contain a valuable part of the nourishment, can be prepared as a feed for animals in a greatly improved form. Manufactured in a cooked and concentrated form 5t will keep in store indefinitely, and will prove a more digestible and healthy food than the raw potato, besides having a wider range of use. In considering what are the best kinds of potatoes to grow for the extraction of farina, it may be said that the quality of the starch from different varieties need not be considered; attention is to be paid solely to the quantity of starch present. The Itarch content may vary very considerably, so that of two crops tqually sound one may be worth half as much again as the other, because of its greater yield of starch when put through the mill. The best criterion of starch content is the density of specific gravity of the potato; the higher the density the more starch there is present. The farmer will need to take into consideration the two , questions of size of crop and density, aiming to get the highest { yield of starch per acre. varieties mt following have the values ■ Wonder, Evergood, Kinfl These the defl The manufactue contM the accomplished^ washing. After two preliminary washiß move the earthy they grouß process serves to free grain? ffl have been deposited. Then thfl cesses the sepaiß the potato. treatment^ vital of a by a I flavour foreign ifl of drying produce ifl The a l large room is for I -■ The first factory, a fl th *J a floor l-.08 and witM and steam-raising Tl.e ■ from the comß conveying be/nds take them intoß machines. RaMwfy. lines are rounH trucks c«n be at «■ handled automatically, and the finished ■ All the'othgr. mills on much tfl will be able to deShwith 1500 of !>■ should use over of \M the ■ Ka] H the manufacture of a In additioß for it amongst chemists^

finally it may be pointed out t! ■■* the value bt the potato as * „ „ n inVeTmediiteTclearSnK crop, pan,u.ar>y for plantrng on ,«wlj- * broken gras, land, cannot be surpass-d. | ~ r v„,i.-ult.Ti I <i.."i!U(Mit Station Record, j (U.S. Depart mm a,, '< , J*i I , ) > d i,i» u,,. ,i I A lie Clerc (Potato Mag. l| ■, part S ub ; it, baking tests -„■ j lro> , «" '•J ~ , , , i) epa h,nent of Agriculture !'''.W ,howin P g the reject and , JHHPatoes and wheat in term i of available | **" P 1 ?..*£?TarreTand potatoes at 1.75 dollars per bushel, 2^eaper P than pl?o and will furnish considerably more P*m££ ur tM. SJn fat starch, and heat units for one dollar. On W<V ot , ,' J£mM& as will white flour for the same money. From «;Wfral '"£**,*Sntof view one acre of land devoted to potatoes WfimEfM*** cZilrublymoTß food for man than I