96 



of 62 F., there was an additional loss of only 2.22 lbs., 

 or only 40 percent of the rate during the first five days 

 -at the higher temperature. Notice chart of November, 

 1915, when the temperature was low and the humidi- 

 ty high, the loss of moisture was lowest, as shown No- 

 vember 20, 24. 30, December 34 and 27 to 30. 



The evaporation of excess water immediately follow- 

 ing storage constitutes curing. The rate of evapora- 

 tion is evidently influenced by the percentage of excess 

 moisture in the potato and also by the temperature and 

 percent of moisture in the air at any time. 



HEATING AND VENTILATING 



For the first two years a large, sheet-iron wood stove 

 was used for producing heat. This type of stove is 

 very hard to regulate. If too much draft is given, the 

 stove is soon red-hot; if too little draft is given, com- 

 bustion ceases and the room cools rapidly. These 

 facts are evidenced by the extreine high and low tem- 

 peratures as shown by records during the first year and 

 a similar temperature record for the second year, ex- 

 cept that, apparently due to the repair made to the 

 ceiling, the room did not cool quite as much at night. 

 There was greater uniformity of both temperature and 

 humidity for the third period due to better construc- 

 tion, to the use of the coal stove and to the less frequent 

 opening of the storage room. The superior results se- 

 cured during the third year indicate that it is better 

 not to open the house or to build fires as often as had 

 been done during the previous two years. In the third 

 year after the curing period fires were built but twice 

 as a protection against freezing temperature and the 

 room was rarely ventilated except for the few moments 

 when visitors were shown into the building and when 

 the temperature and humidity records were made at 

 the end of each week. 



The cost of fuel for heat the third year to cure the 

 potatoes stored in house shown in Fig. 3 was about two 

 dollars. 



HUMIDITY 



The humidity records show that the degree of 

 humidity at no time passed the ninety degree mark 

 and that during the third year, when the crop 

 kept better than at any other period, the de- 

 gree of humidity was almost constantly at or between 

 •80 and 90 degrees. It is entirely likely that if the cur- 



