STORING 151 



Losses in Storage. Potatoes suffer loss in weight 

 in keeping in addition to any loss due to disease or 

 insect attacks. At Cornell University, during the past 

 winter, the variety Sir Walter Raleigh, stored in crates 

 in a cool cellar, lost 12 per cent, in weight between 

 the date November 6, 1903, and April 27, 1904, a 

 period of 173 days, while the variety Carman No. 3 

 lost nearly 10 per cent. Neither variety had sprouted 

 at all. This seems to show that in this district the 

 latter is better for storage, and growers have noted 

 this. Sir Walter Raleigh seems better adapted for 

 selling from the field than for storage. No doubt 

 other varieties vary in the same way, and the same 

 variety will vary under differing conditions. At the 

 Michigan Experiment Station a barrel of potatoes 

 stored September, 1893, had lost 5 per cent, in weight 

 by March 28, and 11.5 per cent, by May i, 1894. Re- 

 search shows that these losses are influenced by tem- 

 perature and the state of moisture of the air. The 

 higher temperature increases the loss, while the higher 

 moisture content diminishes it. I/ight seems to have 

 little influence upon the loss of weight, but is injurious 

 because it diminishes the selling value of the potato. 

 The average percentage losses of twelve varieties of 

 potatoes carefully stored in a cool cellar at a tempera- 

 ture of 42 to 51 F. during seven months, as recorded 

 by E. Wollny, 1 are: October, 2.02 per cent.; Novem- 

 ber, 1.18; December, .50; January, .50; February, .81; 

 March, .41; April, .50; the total loss aggregated, on an 

 average, 6.17 per cent. In every case the losses were 



E. S. R., III., p. 493. 



