136 POTATO CULTURE. 



to exclude all light, and carefully enough to shed all water. 

 This can be done. We have had many piles thus covered in 

 years past. Lay forkfuls around the base of the pile first ; 

 then a layer above and lapping down over the first, and so on 

 up. placing a large forkful on top, and a little earth on it to 

 hold it. 



I once sold a carload of potatoes to a shipper, and it rained 

 very hard when the car was about half loaded. He was 

 much put out, as he thought we could do no more loading 

 that day, and he was decidedly surprised when we opened a 

 pile and showed him the tubers all dry as ever. If they are 

 to be left in the field until there is danger of frost, throw a 

 slight covering of earth over the straw. In this locality it is 

 not safe to trust them under straw alone, much after the 

 first week in October. I once lost a good many the 16th of 

 October, where no earth had been put over the staw. Hard 

 freezing as early as this is, of course, an exception ; but we 

 must look out for it. I know a grower who dug and piled a 

 large quantity of potatoes, covering with straw all right and 

 putting a heavy coat of earth on at the same time, and they 

 all rotted down. Don't do this way. We have never had 

 any trouble by handling potatoes carefully and having them 

 reasonably dry when piled, and not putting earth over until 

 they had been dug some time, and putting no more than 50 

 bushels together. Of course, if there were any rot among 

 them we wouldn't store in this way. I think we h id one 

 year forty piles out in this shape. But a man who grows 

 potatoes largely had better arrange as soon as he can to store 

 under cover. It is less trouble. Let me relate a little ex- 

 perience that made this very clear to me : 



Four hundred and fifty bushels were put in 9 piles, and 450 

 bushels were put into the cellar. After they were stored I 

 turned off my men. Soon a buyer came and bought them 

 all. 1 loaded them and drew them to market, and I was 

 exceedingly glad when I got those piles all loaded. I could 

 load quicker and easier from the cellar, every time. In the 



