128 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



The old practice of storing sweet potatoes in pits and care- 

 lessly made sheds resulted in the loss of a large loercentage of 

 the annual crop. The development of the modern types of sweet 

 potato storage houses has decreased the annual loss to a mini- 

 mum. AVhile it is impossible in this 

 discussion to give fully the best 

 methods of keeping sweet potatoes, 

 it would not be complete without 

 outlining briefly some of the essen- 

 tial features of successful sweet 

 potato storage. 



Cure the tubers at a temperature 



of about eighty-five degrees F. for 



ten days in order that they may be 



.^^ "^W^ /' sufficiently dried to keep. During 



^^■ftA-^,,.,>«».-,,fc^w this period much of the starch is 



^^^^m m.M changed into sugar. While this 



^Hr ■ W^ drying is taking place ample ven- 



^^ W tilation should be provided. Fol- 



" ^ lowing the drying period a uniform 



temperature of fifty-five degrees F. 



should be maintained. 



Valuable literature on the sub- 

 ject of sweet potato storage may 

 be obtained free of charge from 

 the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington and from the various 

 state experiment stations. 



Insects and diseases. — The root 

 borer or weevil is the worst insect 

 enemy of the sweet potato. It is 

 found in tropical sections and in 

 several of the Gulf states. The only 

 means of checking it seem to be 

 through the destruction of all in- 

 fested potatoes and systematic ro- 

 tation. 



Several fungous diseases occur on sweet potatoes and when 

 present may cause heavy losses in the field or during the storage 

 period. Among these are black rot, stem rot, soft rot, and dry 

 rot. The eight rules, summarized from Farmers' Bulletin 714, 

 to save sweet potatoes from fungous diseases are as follows : 

 Select seeds free from rots or spots of any kind. 



Fig. 43. — Sweet-potato plant af 

 fected by black-rot. — Farmers 

 Bulletin 11.',. 



