212 Effective Farming 



if the price is high in late summer or early fall, the roots are 

 often dug before the vines have finished growing. The bulk 

 of the crop is not dug, however, until the roots are mature. 

 A way to determine this is to examine cut surfaces on them. 

 If a cut in a root becomes discolored, it is a sign that the root is 

 immature ; a cut on a mature root heals with a whitish cover- 

 ing. Most of the crop is dug about the time of the first fall 

 frost, which is usually about four and one-half months after 

 planting. 



Before the roots are dug, the long ends of the vines must 

 be removed. A plow with a rolling colter is often used to cut 

 them off. The roots are then turned out with a plow. Some 

 growers use special plows fitted with two rolling colters, one 

 on each side of the beam. With one of these the row can be 

 dug without first plowing to cut off the vines. 



One-fifth of the sweet potato crop of the Southern States 

 10,000,000 bushels of the average crop of 50,000,000 is lost 

 annually by decay. Careless handling at harvest time and 

 improper storage cause almost the entire loss. Two things 

 are essential in the storeroom good insulation and provision 

 for thorough ventilation. 



Storage houses may be built of wood, brick, cement, or stone. 

 Wooden houses are preferable, because they are cheaper and 

 easier to keep dry. It is difficult to keep moisture from col- 

 lecting on the walls of a cement, stone, or brick house. The 

 house should be built on posts or piers, so as to allow a circu- 

 lation of air under it. The " dugout," or a house built partly 

 under ground, fails because it is practically impossible to keep 

 this type of house dry, and moisture in the storage house will 

 cause the potatoes to rot. The sills should be placed on posts 

 or pillars twelve to fifteen inches from the ground, or just high 

 enough so that a wagon bed will be on a level with the floor of 

 the house. 



On many farms in the South there are buildings, such as 

 abandoned tenant houses, that could be converted into sweet 



