97 



ing has been perfectly done at the curing period, a 

 lower degree of humidity would cause a constant loss 

 of moisture in the potatoes to a greater degree than 

 would be desirable. Therefore, the practice of open- 

 ing the house on warm, dry days during the first two 

 seasons, thus admitting the dry air from the outside, 

 was of doubtful value. 



The atmosphere in the bank often reaches the point 

 of saturation as shown by sweating. But our records 

 show that in the house the air is usually twenty percent 

 short of saturation. And the weight table shows a 

 gradual loss of moisture in cured stored potatoes 

 throughout the storage period. 



Practical growers claim that potatoes stored in banks 

 are inclined to become "watery" during the warm, late 

 winter weather, thus not only lowering the quality of 

 the potato for use as food, but increasing the probabili- 

 ty of decay. 



SUMMARY 



The results of tlicsc experiments seem to show that 

 potatoes can be cured sufficiently in ten days to two 

 weeks, but there is a continuous loss of moisture even 

 when the humidity is from eighty to ninety degrees. 



There is a vast difference between a banked potato 

 and a cured potato stored in a dry room. The latter is 

 sweeter and firmer and will undoubtedly ship to any 

 reasonable distance by freight. Potatoes cured at Au- 

 burn the past winter were mailed to Honolulu, Hawaiian 

 Islands, a distance of three thousand miles by rail and 

 two thousand miles bj" boat, and requiring nearly a 

 month for the trip, arrived in good condition and were 

 bedded for plants with excellent results. A Triumph 

 potato of the 1915 crop is lying in the office on this 

 date, August 25th, 1917, and sending out good sprouts. 

 There are many of the 1916 crop on hand in perfect 

 condition for food or bedding. 



A part of the 1916 crop was canned in February and 

 made a fair canned product, although not as clear in 

 color as the freshly dug potatoes. 



Storage potatoes, because of their excellent condition 

 and freedom from decay, are superior for bedding to 

 those kept in banks. 



