64 POTATO CULTURE. 



ter than to take from the bin, and far better than to take 

 the culls after all the best have been selected out. Again, 

 the small grower, who can not afford machinery, you see, 

 has an advantage, if he will do his best. I am glad to bring 

 out these points. 



Care of Seed. 



After being picked out, the tubers for seed may be care- 

 fully taken to the cellar, without the sun being allowed to 

 shine on them, and stored in barrels. These barrels should be 

 covered with old carpets, and then every care taken to keep 

 the cellar as near the freezing-point as possible, and not have 

 the potatoes actually freeze, from the day they are put in 

 till they are taken out to plant. By taking care to open the 

 cellar cool nights, and shut it up tight during warm days, 

 one can keep it quite cool in the fall After cold weather 

 comes, keep a thermometer in the cellar, and open up and 

 let in cold air whenever the temperature inside gets above 

 35 or 36. Do not be afraid of freezing the potatoes ; for if 

 they are in barrels, and covered up, you can safely let the 

 thermometer fall to 28 for a short time. You know pota- 

 toes do not freeze as easily as water. But when the ther- 

 mometer gets to freezing, you had better take down a kettle 

 of coals, or light your oil-stove, and let it burn till the mer- 

 cury gets up to 33. I should like to keep the temperature 

 between 33 and 34, if possible, all winter, and I have gone 

 to a good deal of trouble to try to keep it so. The object is, 

 of course, to keep the tubers from sprouting. At the same 

 time, your apples and other vegetables will keep much the 

 better for this low temperature. 



Of course, you know your cellar and you will not run any 

 risk from keeping it so cold that it will freeze during a cold 

 night. We see it stated that potatoes will be injured for 

 seed if kept colder than about 40. Well, I know just what I 

 am writing about, as I have kept hundreds and hundreds of 

 bushels below 35 for months at a time, and they grew per- 



