Potatoes 



205 



114. Harvesting and storing. Much of the white-potato 

 crop is dug by hand (Fig. 89) with a potato hook or a spading 

 fork. Horse-drawn diggers are used where large acreages 

 are grown. Of these there are several types, ranging from a 

 plow fitted with iron rods for the purpose of shaking the dirt 

 from the tubers, to implements like the one shown in Fig. 

 90, that dig, ele- 

 vate, and deposit 

 the potatoes on the 

 ground. 



A large part of 

 the late crop is 

 stored for use in the 

 winter. A storage 

 place for potatoes 

 should be cool, dry, 

 and well ventilated 

 and, as the tubers 

 freeze easily, the 

 temperature of the 



FIG. 90. Potato-digger. 



storage room should 



never be down to 



the freezing point. From 40 to 50 F. is a good range of 



temperature for the potato storage place. When a cellar is 



utilized, it should be kept dark and be provided with both 



an intake and an outtake for air ; ventilation is an important 



factor in the storing of potatoes. 



115. Insect pests. The white potato is subject to two 

 troublesome insect pests, the Colorado potato-beetle and the 

 flea-beetle. Of these the Colorado potato-beetle does the most 

 damage. 



Colorado potato-beetle. The familiar striped potato-bug is 

 the Colorado potato-beetle. The female lays eggs on the 

 leaves of the plants. Larvae from these eggs start at once to 

 eat the foliage and if not checked will soon strip the plant of 



