THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 353 



soil is frequently cracked or the ends of the potatoes protrude above 

 ground and are liable to injury from severe frost. 



If on account of rainy weather or for any other cause the pota- 

 toes can not be dug before frost or immediately afterwards, the vines, 

 should be cut away and the potatoes removed at the first opportunity. 

 If cold weather continues it may be necessary to draw a little extra 

 soil over the hills to protect the potatoes, or the vines may be piled in 

 a ridge over the row. A very slight frosting of the potatoes will cause 

 them to decay within a short time after being placed in storage. 



It is desirable that the soil should be comparatively dry at the 

 time of harvesting sweet potatoes, and bright, drying weather is 

 essential to the proper handling of the crop. Sweet potatoes differ 

 from Irish potatoes in that they are not so easily injured by sunlight. 

 However, they should not be exposed for any length of time if the 

 sunshine is very warm. During the handling in the field it should 

 be the purpose to remove all soil and surface moisture from the 

 potatoes. Sweet potatoes should not He exposed upon the surface of 

 the ground during the night. 



Grading and Packing. In sorting sweet potatoes preparatory to 

 packing, about four grades are recognized, as fancy, primes, seconds 

 and culls. Those packed as fancy include only the most select, both 

 in size and shape. The primes include all those adapted to general 

 first-class trade, while the seconds include the smaller and more 

 irregular stock which goes to a lower priced trade. The culls are not 

 marketed unless good stock is exceedingly scarce, and as a rule are 

 used for feeding to hogs. Sweet potatoes are usually shipped in bar- 

 rels holding eleven pecks each. Some markets require that the barrels 

 be faced and headed, while for others the tops are slightly rounded 

 and covered with burlap. Small lots of extra-fancy sweet potatoes are 

 sometimes shipped in one-bushel crates having raised tops; also in 

 patent folding crates. Throughout the process of handling care must 

 be exercised to see that the sweet potatoes do not become bruised, for 

 upon this their shipping and keeping qualities greatly depend. 



Storage. Unlike most perishable products, the sweet potato 

 requires warmth and a dry atmosphere while in storage. The method 

 of storing will depend both upon the locality and the quantity of 

 potatoes to be cared for. The temperature and conditions of a rather 

 cool living room are admirably adapted for keeping sweet potatoes 

 intended for home use in the North, while in the South they may be 

 placed in pits or stored in outdoor cellars. The home supply may be 

 placed in crates and stored in a loft over the kitchen part of the 

 dwelling. Sweet potatoes should not be stored in bags or in barrels 

 without ventilation. 



The seed stock for planting the following year should be selected 

 and stored separately in a small bin. As the potatoes are separated 

 into their respective grades they are put into baskets and carried to 

 the bins. Some growers prefer to do the grading in the field, but 

 this necessitates the employment of a larger percentage of expert labor 

 and delays the work of getting the potatoes hauled to the storehouse. 

 Women and children can pick up the potatoes in the field, and two 



