POTATO CULTUBE. 117 



time. The boxes were left at the grocery, and empty ones 

 taken back ; and with best customers they were left in the 

 consumer's cellar until he wanted another bushel. I remem- 

 ber once leaving 30 boxes at a grocer's while I went on with 

 the rest of my load to another place. When I came back he 

 had delivered every bushel to his customers, who had orders 

 in for them. They were dug in the afternoon, immediately 

 covered, and by 11 o'clock the next day they were in the con- 

 sumer's cellar, 12 miles away, without any handling or bruis- 

 ing, and I will warrant they gave satisfaction. There is 

 plenty of demand for nice things at paying prices, while 

 ordinary goods are dull at low prices. The sized box spoken 

 of is right to set in an ordinary three-foot-wide wagon-box, 

 as two boxes endwise just fill across the wagon-box. (Mr. 

 Koot, I notice, now makes them a little shorter, which is 

 handier. ) The box on my spring wagon is a little over 12 

 feet long, so 20 boxes can be set in the bottom, and two deep 

 make 40, our usual load for two horses. But they can be 

 set three or four deep, if desired. The boxes hold a bushel 

 level full, so they can be set one on top of the othei% Do 

 not round them up, or you will cheat yourself. They hold a 

 full bushel when a straight-edge drawn across the top just 

 touches the potatoes. 



With plenty of these boxes rny men dug right along while 

 I was gone to market, and 1-5 minutes was time enough to 

 load my wagon in after I got back. There is some dead 

 weight to carry, but it pays twice over. The potatoes are in 

 the nicest possible shape, and your customers will soon find 

 it out, and there is no chance for quibbling about measure. 

 There is just a bushel in a box every time, while baskets 

 vary in size, and can easily be heaped too much or too little, 

 thus giving a chance for unpleasant words between buyer 

 and seller. 



Later in the season, after the potatoes are ripe, and there 

 is no longer any need of handling them so carefully, I drive 

 through the field, and two men will empty 50 or 60 boxes 



