PRESERVING POTATOES.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1272, 24 August 1880, Page 2

PRESERVING POTATOES.

Under this heading a very interesting letter appears in the AdvhiUc Observer from Mr James Grant, of Thomas Plains, Tasmania, a gentleman who, some years ago, resided in N6W Caledonia. It was 1 when in that colony that his attention was directed to the question of preserving potatoe*. Ho found that in New Cale- [ donia the potato was the most valuable of all vegetable pi'oduot*, at leas 1 ; to ,hot>e with European constitutions. Although so highly esteemed, the markets weru badly supplied, which was owing to its exceedingly perLshable character in that I hot and humid climate. Ho sujs: — "From inquires I raade of Mr J>ubert, of Joubeit and Carter, Noumea, I found that the life of a potato could not be rated at more than three weeks after arrival in this land ; that they were almost entirely brought over ia the ma ; l steamers from Sydney ; and that with quotations up to £4 per ton in Melbourne potatoes would be worth £11 per ton in Noumea, running up to £20 per ton on the E ist coast. Li tely I have seen it reported that owinjr to the failure of te yams in Fiji, potatoes were worth -£20 per ton in Levuka. It has always appeared to me that if potatoes could be made in their natural state to stand long sea voyages, and a reasonably lengthened storage afterwards, a very large export trade could be created from the Southern Colonies to all the countries bordering on the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The question is, how are the potatoes to be supplied ? The perishable nature of the potato is owing to those chemical changes attendant on the process of germination This process proceeds slowly under a cool temperature ; but if the temperature be increased the process ia accelerated, especially with the concomitant of humidity. This is the reason why they are so difficult to keep on board ship; and the same law applies to all descriptions of succulent vegetables. To prevent this rapid decay, the potatoes should bepackedin sawdust. This should be done in a cool diy atmosphere, and this sawdust should be rendered as dry as possible. The effect of this would be to prevent access of heat and moisture, which would have the effect of retaining, the germinating process, and so preserving the potatoes for a longer period/ Mr. Grant suggests that the traders of Australia might well make the experiment he suggests, and draws attention to the success of the shipment of grapes packed in sawdust to England from Australia. He overlooks the fact that by sawdust packing bulk is materially increased, and that the cost of freight would be much greater. The quantity of sawdust required, the style of package, m which form it would be best to pack, and the cost of freight form questions, which a few trials would satisfactorily answer,