POTATO 



263 



to make several pits close together rather than one large 

 one, since in a large one the potatoes are more likely to 

 sweat. The sunlight should not be allowed to shine on 

 them for any length of time, since it causes them to turn 

 green and develops a poisonous substance in them. If 

 kept in a cellar the bins are improved by having slatted 

 floors and sides, so that there may be some circulation of 

 air through them to prevent heating at the bottom. The 

 bins should not be large nor more than five feet deep. 



Fig. 112. A potato storage house. 



There is a great difference in the keeping qualities of varie- 

 ties ; as a rule the early kinds are hard to keep from sprout- 

 ing in the latter part of the winter, and the late kinds 

 keep the best. 



Starch. When potatoes are low in price, they can 

 often be profitably worked into starch, but for this purpose 

 starch factories must be near by. Such factories are not 

 expensive and should be more common in potato sections. 



The demand for potatoes seems destined to increase 

 very much. There is a growing demand each year from 



