No. 105.] 375 



effective. It of course destroys the potatoes for seed, but preserves 

 them as food. 



In the case of those intended for seed, extraordinary efforts must be 

 made to preserve them by drying, picking, &c. 



Washing with water is considered by many experienced farmers in- 

 jurious, and it is besides impracticable on a large scale. It is said that 

 the potatoes wither after washing. 



The government commissioners in Ireland recommend the laying of 

 the potatoes with a space between each on a bed of dry ashes or 

 charred soil. The spaces between them are to be filled, and a covering 

 placed over their top, of the same material. Another layer of potatoes 

 is then to be arranged in the same way, and so on until the edifice is 

 about 2h feet in height. 



If the results of this commission have not answered the expectations 

 that were formed, it is because sufficient care was not taken to unite 

 with them some persons practically acquainted with agriculture. Ow-. 

 ing to this defect in its constitution, most of their recommendations 

 have savored rather strongly of theory alone, and of the laboratory 

 where things are done on a small scale. 



The idea of putting up his six or seven thousand bushels of potatoe s 

 after the above method struck a friend of mine, a large Lothian far- 

 mer, so ludicrously, that he said they might as well have recommend- 

 ed him to wrap them in white paper, like oranges. 



But after all the labor involved in this plan, it does not secure the 

 potatoes ; there is no ventilation, and they have been found to rot 

 with great rapidity, even where the packing material was pounded 

 charcoal. 



The result of the numberless schemes which have been proposed and 

 tried, seems to be, that the best way of storing is in small heaps or 

 thin layers, in dry situations, and with the greatest possible amount of 

 ventilation consistent with preservation from frost. If this fails, the 

 only resource is kiln drying or exposure to chlorine ; but these are ex- 

 pensive methods, and only resorted to in extremity. With careful 

 picking, any of the methods which secure the above requisites have 

 been found greatly to retard, and in many instances absolutely to stop 

 the progress of disease. 



