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STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



HARVESTING. 



The time of harvesting is influenced by the weather. The date of 

 the first killing frost in fall is usually the time to commence digging 

 operations. As long as the tops are green starch is being formed and 

 the quantity of potatoes increased. Late potatoes may be benefited if 

 left to lay for a week after early frost in order to harden up. Late 

 potatoes for table use should be matured and in good condition when 

 harvested. Immature potatoes are considered good seed stock but 

 usually are difficult to separate from the vines and also have poorer cook- 

 ing and keeping qualities than the mature kinds. Potatoes should be 

 left to dry sufficiently long after digging so that dirt will clean off 

 readily. This allows skin to toughen up and prevents the checking, 

 cracking or bruising of tubers caused from handling when they are 

 first dug. 









Piff. 22. Ilarvesting Rural Potatoes, farm of C. A. Miller, Schoolcraft County. A high 

 yield of good quality potatoes may be grown in the Upper Peninsula. 



The method of digging potatoes depends on size of field and develop- 

 ment of the farm. Forks or hoes are the the common tool for potato 

 digging on the majority of farms. Where several acres are planted the 

 potato digger is being adopted. The elevator type machine where a 

 steel nose runs under the row of potatoes and sifts the dirt through an 

 elevator of parallel iron rods, dropping the potatoes behind is the type 

 of digger most used. Plowing out the crop is generally considered ex- 

 travagant and wasteful. 



STORAGE. 



Home storage forms about two-thirds of the storage space for 

 potatoes produced in this section, (1) because of the short digging time 

 in the fall between the time of first fall frosts and before dangerous 



