ory that cooked food is not
generally attended with the same benefit to ruminating as to other
animals, was evidently almost convinced that those which contained an
abundance of starch in their constituents must be rendered more
nutritious when exposed to the action of heat.

Potatoes fed in a raw state to stock are laxative in their effects, and
are often given to horses as a medicine in cases of "hidebound" with
decided benefit. Bots, which have been known to live twenty-four hours
immersed in spirits of turpentine, die almost instantly when placed in
potato-juice; hence a common practice with horsemen, where bots are
suspected, is to first administer milk and molasses to decoy the
parasites from the coating of the stomach, and then drench the animal
with the expressed juice of potatoes. A decoction made by boiling the
parings of potatoes in a small quantity of water is often used as a wash
to kill vermin on cattle. Raw potatoes, fed occasionally and in small
quantities, are a good tonic for stock of any kind which is kept
principally on hay; but all experiments show that when the potato is
used for fattening purposes, the tubers should in some way be cooked,
that the animal to which they are fed may derive from them the greatest
possible amount of nutriment. Repeated experiments demonstrate the fact
that horned cattle or hogs lay on as much fat from the consumption of
two thirds of a given quantity of potatoes properly cooked as they will
by eating the entire quantity in a raw state. In point of nutriment as
cattle-food, two pounds of potatoes are considered equivalent to one
pound of hay.

HOW TO COOK THE POTATO.

FURNISHED BY

PROF. PIERRE BLOT, OF BROOKLYN.

At the suggestion of a number of friends, I addressed the following note
to Professor Blot, which, with his reply, is appended:

PROFESSOR PIERRE BLOT:
NEW-YORK, Feb. 15, 1870.

DEAR SIR: In connection with a Prize Essay on the cultivation of the
potato, I wish to publish an article on COOKING THE POTATO, to be taken
from your _Hand-Book of Practical Cookery_. I write this note to ask
whether I can do this with your entire approval. Hoping that such
article may aid our American housekeepers to prepare the potato for the
table in a more palatable and wholesome manner, I remain yours very
truly,