THE SECKETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 3S3 



and have a strong taste whicli people who do not eat sweet potatoes often may 



en dure. 



************** 



The Indiana Farmer says that one of its readers has a plan of his own for 

 storing sweet potatoes which has proved entirely successful for the past five 

 years. He piles them in a corner of the cellar, immediately after digging, in 

 as compact a manner as possible, and covers them first with a coating of coarse 

 manure or cut straw, and after this with two or three inches of dust or dirt. 

 He then places boxes or barrels filled with Irish potatoes around the pile and 

 pours a few bushels over them upon the coating of earth. The effect of all this 

 blanketing is to keep the sweet potatoes warm, and at the same time allow the 

 moisture arising from them to escape. During the five years our friend has 

 practiced this simple plan he has never lost a sweet potato by decay. We think 

 it well worth trying, and we intend to test it this winter. 



KEEPING ONIONS. 



W. W. Tracy, in answer to a question how best to preserve onions, has this 

 to say in the Michigan Farmer : The onions are stored one to two feet deep on 

 the tight floor of some barn or shed (the loft of a barn is frequently fitted up 

 for the purpose), but kept at least two feet from the sides of the building. 

 They are left exposed until chilled or actually frozen, and then covered with 

 about one foot of straw or marsh hay, the space between the wall and the 

 onions being tamped solid. In putting on the hay care is taken not to disturb 

 the onions in the least by stepping on them, but the hay is thrown on from the 

 outside. As the cold increases more covering is added, until by mid-winter it 

 is three or four feet thick and the onions are left severely alone until the 

 approach of spring, when the covering is gradually removed, and the bulbs are 

 are usually found in the best of condition. The object in this method is to 

 have the onions as dry as possible and then to chill or freeze them and keep 

 them frozen until wanted, at the same time protecting them from the warm 

 damp weather of a thaw, and preventing their being moved when frozen. This 

 last is considered very important. 



SEA KALE. 



The American Agriculturist thinks sea kale will become quite extensively 

 cultivated in this country. It belongs to the same family as the cabbage. Its 

 shoots only are eaten, and that only after being forced to blanch. It is a good 

 deal of work to produce sea kale in perfection, but when properly grown, it 

 is as tender as asparagus and as mild as cauliflower. Our climate is well 

 adapted to its production in abundance, and of the choicest quality. 



In regard to its growth that journal goes on to say that it is a perennial 

 plant, and when the bed is once made, it will last for many years. It is propa- 

 gated from the roots as well as from seed, and where those can be 

 obtained a year's time can be saved. When propagated from the roots of old 

 plants it is usual to cut these into lengths of two or three inches. In 

 early spring place the pieces in a box in the house or in the hot-bed, covering 

 them very lightly with damp moss or light mould. As soon as they start to 

 grow and the weather is suitable, set out in a bed eighteen by thirty-six inches 



