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profitably employed thus in winter, when work is 

 otherwise scarce. Care, however, must be taken that 

 the pits are not opened when the weather is so 

 severe that the potatoes are frozen. 



Sorting Potatoes. 



When the pits are opened with the view of turning 

 them, or for market purposes, the covering should be 

 carefully stripped off. The potato sorter should be placed 

 close alongside, in such a position that the potatoes can 

 be easily thrown on to the riddles. A potato shovel 



POTATO SHOVEL. 



is the proper tool to use, as by its construction the 

 potatoes are shovelled up without being cut, and 

 from its scoop shape, a large number are retained in it. 

 When the potatoes are being put up for market, 

 baskets or skeps, which hold a bushel, should be used 

 to fill the sacks. A market bushel is 56 Ibs. weight. 

 This is about as many as can be piled on the ordinary 

 bushel. In some localities other weights than 56 Ibs. 

 are recognised as a bushel, but the large markets 

 recognise the half cwt., which is most convenient in all 

 ways. A small pair of scales, convenient to move, 

 and on which sacks can be easily lifted, is required to 

 take the correct weight. Sacks of potatoes are rather 



