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rOTATOES—
PROCESS OF
MASIIINQ.
123
In
the
other
two
ways
no
combustibles
are
wanted
to
convert
the
fecula
into
paste
proper
to
be
mashed,
and
by
working
as
heretofore
advised
for
the
mashing
of
grain
;
that
is,
to
boil
the
matter
intended
for
fermenta-
tion,
whether
it
be
isolated
fecula
or
pulp,
with
the
spent-
wash
left
after
distillation.
In one
case,
the
pota-
toes
must
be
broken
between
two
cylinders
;
in
the
two
other
cases,
it
is
sufficient
to
rasp
them
;
and
this
opera-
tion
is
not
expensive,
considering
the
great
quantity
that
can
be
rasped
by
two
men.
In
the
first
case,
the
matter
submitted
to
the
still
is
heavy
and
pasty;
it
requires
more
combustibles
to
be
brought
to
ebullition,
and
more
expense
is
occasioned
through
the
necessity of
continually
agitating
it;
and,
without
speaking
of
the
bursting
of
the
apparatus
which
it
might
cause,
the
spirit
produced
from
it is
always
more
or
less
charged
with
empyreuma.
In
the
other
cases,
the
matter
is
perfectly
fluid,
does
not
require
any
precaution
to
be
taken
in
distilling
it,
and
gives
a
better
flavoured
spirit.
The
superiority
belongs,
then,
evidently,
to
the
two
last
modifications that
have
been
proposed
;
and,
of
those
two, there
can
be
no
hesitation
in
declaring
the
lat-
ter
to
be
the
best.
100
kilogrammes
of
potatoes
may
thus
produce
from
50
to
55
litres
of
spirit
at
75°.
This
spirit,
as
all
potato
spirit,
has
a
small
taste
of
the
fruit,
which
is
not
pleasant,
but
of
which
it
can
be
freed
by
careful
rectification.