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caused by keeping them open, as they admit cold and 

 wet. Great injury is sometimes caused by wet and 

 snow in winters when these alternate with frost. The 

 snow melts and drains into the pit, and we have seen 

 many instances where the whole of the potatoes which 

 have been wetted have been spoiled from the top to the 

 bottom of the pit. A safer method of ventilating is to 

 insert small chimneys, covered at the top and perforated 

 at the sides, or with mushroom-shaped cowls, with an 

 opening below the cowl. At the approach of winter, 

 openings such as these should be closed, to prevent the 

 ingress of cold. Cold is often admitted through rats' 

 holes, and as the temperature is warmer inside than 

 out, the cold air rushes in with almost incredible 

 rapidity, this being accelerated when there are a number 

 of holes, because a circulation of air is set up through 

 the pit. It is therefore highly important to prevent 

 rats getting into the pits. 



In some districts it is usual to store potatoes in 

 potato-houses. This is suitable, except where potatoes 

 are grown very extensively. A small acreage unless 

 a large number of varieties which require storing 

 separately are grown may be secured, at a moderate 

 cost, in this way, but when the acreage is large, and a 

 number of varieties are grown, the cost of permanent 

 buildings is scarcely warranted. Unless the walls are 

 so thick that frost never gets through them, the 

 potatoes should not be allowed to recline against them, 

 or they will be frozen. A layer of straw or of boards 

 will prevent their freezing. It is also necessary to 



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