On the Storing of Root Crops 



431 



to dry on the surface of the soil, let il be re- 

 membered that the drying is all that is needed. 

 It is an altogether erroneous notion to sup- 

 pose that potatoes are improved in condition 

 by being suffered to lie bleaching in the sun. 

 Recent researches have shewn that the action 

 of //i,''/^/ is a most prejudicial one. We have 

 only to think of its photographic influence to 

 know that there must be some effect which it 

 produces upon objects long subjected to it. 

 What next? the reader may exclaim — "Photo- 

 graphy and potatoes." Yet it is nevertheless 

 true, that the light which produces a picture 

 produces a change upon vegetable matter sub- 

 jected to it, when vegetable matter has been 

 removed from its normal condition. The sub- 

 ject is one of vast importance, and has not 

 yet been sufficiently investigated. Enough 

 has been done, however, to shew that expos- 

 ing potatoes long to light does bring about a 

 change in the constitution of the tuber which 

 greatly reduces its feeding value. After 

 the potatoes are dried, let all expedition be 

 used to get them stored away in the condition 

 best calculated to maintain their feeding value 

 for the longest possible period. What, then, 

 are these conditions ? Potatoes are usually 

 stored away in pits in the open field. The 

 site of these pits must, therefore, be such 

 that the damp will be reduced to a minimum 

 — all superflous water being at once drained 

 away. Further, the position of the pits on 

 the site must be such that their surfaces will 

 receive the maximum amount of sun-light and 

 air. These will be best secured by placing the 

 length of the pits in the direction of north 

 and south, and if the ground on which 

 they are placed slopes in that direction 

 so much the better. Great care must be 

 taken to cut pretty deep trenches all 

 round the pits so as to catch tlie water drain- 

 ing from the soil, and this should be led 

 away as rapidly as possible by a drain or 

 trench cut, leading to the nearest ditch or 

 outlet. If the soil or site of the pit 

 is free from moisture, as of sand or gravel, 

 a trench the full length of the pit, and breadth 

 of ditto — the latter siy from 7 to 8 feet — may 

 be cut to the depth of 9 to 12 inches ; but if 

 the soil is damp, or likely to be so, then the 



cutting of the trench may be dispensed with, 

 and the potatoes laid at once on the surface 

 of the soil. 



The potatoes to be "pitted" should be 

 carefully examined^ so as to get rid of all 

 unsound roots. 'We are aware that some 

 even object to this course being taken, on 

 the ground that it involves time and labour, 

 and therefore expense. A right considera- 

 tion, however, of the circumstances will shew 

 that this style of doing things, or rather the not 

 doing them, is really " penny wise and 

 pound foolish." The presence of one un- 

 sound or diseased tuber may infect a whole 

 pitful of sound tubers, and cause an infinitely 

 greater loss than might be apparently sus- 

 tained by the expense of carefully looking 

 over the whole crop as it is taken up to get 

 rid of the unsound ones, and to prevent their 

 being taken to the pit and stored up there with 

 the sound ones. 



The potatoes being laid on the soil, so as 

 to form a heap when finished — some 30 

 inches in height, and 2;^ feet to 3 feet in 

 breadth at its lowest part, and of any desired 

 length — the next process is to carefully cover 

 the whole upper surface over with straw. This 

 layer should be pretty thick, and be carefully 

 laid so as to be as uniform as possible. We 

 have said that the pits should have a trench 

 cut all round the pits ; the earth from this 

 trench is to be made available in covering the 

 potatoes in the pit. In doing this, proceed 

 by marking off the inner side of the trench 

 at least a foot distant from the outer edge 

 of the layer of potatoes lying on the soil 

 before they are covered with straw. Then 

 gradually cut the trench along this line 

 of the desired breadth and depth. As the soil, 

 in doing this, is taken up, lay it, in the first 

 instance, on the outer edge of the straw 

 covering, making the soil as fine as possible, 

 and beating it down with the spade, the point 

 to be aimed at being the " sealing," as it 

 may be called, of the joint between the lower 

 and outer edge of the pit and its covering, 

 and the ground upon which it rests. The 

 closer this joint is the more completely 

 will the frost and cold be prevented from 

 entering. The lower part of the pit cover- 



