POTATO CULTURE. 77 



wooden-pulp pails (common wooden pails would do, but 

 they woull absorb poison. Crocks would do; but no metal- 

 lic vessels should be used). Coming home I put two gallons 

 of hot water in each pail, and a two-ounce paper of the 

 sublimate in each one. This I stirred with great care until 

 dissolved (in the evening), and let it stand until morning. 

 Then we put 13 gallons of water in each of the three barrels, 

 and emptie 1 into each one a pail of the sublimate solution. 

 This was allowed to stand in barrels some four hours, being 

 thoroughly stirred often. Meanwhile we got out the pota- 

 toes, putting a bushel at a time into a wash-tub, and wash- 

 ing them with our hands through two waters, to get off all 

 earth, and clean out scab holes as much as possible, so 

 poison would be snre to reach all points. Having the pota- 

 toes washed clean, enough to fill the three barrels, we put 

 them into the solution, and let them stay one hour and 

 thirty minutes. Meanwhile we washed some more. At the 

 end of the 90 minutes we put a potato-box cover (just a plain 

 board large enough to cover the top) over one barrel, tied a 

 rope around under the barrel and over the cover ; put in a 

 stick and twisted it up, to hold the cover tightly, but leaving 

 it open on one edge about an inch. Then two of us tipped 

 the barrel over quickly on the edge of a large wash-tub, and 

 poured out the poisoned water. We then emptied out the 

 potatoes, put in fresh ones again, and poured the water back 

 in from the tub, and so on with other barrels. We used the 

 same water but three times ; but we see no reason why it 

 could not be used until worn out. It would be poison as 

 long as any remained. 



All this was no small job, because the sublimate is a pow- 

 erful poison. I just stood over the barrels and pails with all 

 my wits about me to see that there was no carelessness. 

 There is no danger from the poison if you do not get it into 

 your mouth ; therefore I saw that every mouth was shut 

 when we were pouring it. It would do no harm to a cut 

 finger. This is the same strength of solution that is used in 



