348 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



tissue and puts the vitality of the tuber to a hard test. The digging must not be entrusted 

 to careless boys, or the potatoes will look sadly hacked.&quot; 



The practice, common in some localities, of leaving the crop exposed, for several hours 

 after digging, to the injurious effects of the strong light and heat of the sun, is very detri 

 mental, and should be avoided. It injures the quality of the tubers; therefore, if the harvesting 

 is not performed on a cloudy day so that they may lie exposed on the ground without harm, 

 it is better to gather them into small heaps, with some of the tops spread over them, until 

 the moisture of the surface be dry, when they are ready to be stored. 



Storing. The usual method of storing potatoes is to put them in large bins in a cel 

 lar. It is important that the cellar be not too damp or too warm, a cool, dry one being the 

 best for keeping them in a healthy condition until spring. It is a good plan to keep the 

 windows of the cellar open until late in the autumn, and thus maintain as cool a temperature 

 as possible without freezing the tubers. The potatoes should always be dry when put into 

 the bins. It is a well-known fact that a washed potato never keeps in as good a condition as 

 one that is simply dried, just as it is dug from the soil. When they are wet from a sudden 

 shower, or any other cause, before being put under cover, many farmers put a little air- 

 slacked lime over them in storing them away. This has a tendency to keep them dry and 

 prevent decay. It is common in some sections to bury potatoes in the ground in large pits 

 or trenches prepared for the purpose. 



A dry hill-side with a northern exposure, or under a shade, is to be preferred, as it will 

 preserve them from the effects of the sun as spring approaches. When a trench is dug for 

 the purpose, it should be cut up and down the hill to prevent any trouble from water getting 

 to them, thus securing good drainage. It is better to make several pits rather than have 

 too large a quantity stored together, as they will in this way keep better; about fifteen or 

 eighteen bushels to a pit being sufficient. A trench is usually filled in sections, beginning at 

 the bottom or lower end of the trench; from fifteen to twenty bushels may be put in to the 

 required depth; at the upper end of the pile a few bundles of straw and some dirt are placed, 

 and another section made in the same manner until the trench is filled. Straw should be 

 placed over them in covering to the depth of five or six inches, followed with a sufficient 

 depth of soil to prevent them from freezing. It is best to cover with the straw and boards 

 simply for a few days, to prevent injury from rain, until they are well dried, after which the 

 soil may be added, and the covering complete. 



If not covered sufficient to prevent injury from frost, the tubers will be ruined, while if 

 covered too deep they will be liable to decay; consequently, more or less loss is usually sus 

 tained with this method of storage. A narrow ditch, or a few furrows plowed on each side 

 of the trench, will aid in drainage to prevent a surplus of water. This is especially necessary 

 on clayey soils, and is a safer practice for those of any kind. 



A large cellar or pit, constructed similar to a silo for ensilage, with walls of concrete, 

 brick, or stone, a cover of planks and earth or other material, and a door at one side or end, 

 would be very valuable, and much better than the above-mentioned pits for keeping potatoes, 

 as well as all kinds of roots and even fruit; and where large farms are cultivated, requiring 

 storage-room for immense crops, it will well repay any farmer for constructing such a cellar 

 near his farm -buildings for this purpose. 



Such potatoes as are designed for seed should be put in dry bins or barrels in a cool 

 place, where they will be kept dry and at a low temperature, but will not be in danger of 

 being frozen. A covering of dry sand will have a tendency to keep them better than an 

 exposure to the atmosphere. 



Diseases, etc. The most destructive disease to which the potato is subject is the rot, 

 while the insect that effects the greatest injury to the crop is the Colorado Beetle, commonly 



