HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING 



POTATOES HARVESTING AND STORING 



THE early kinds mentioned on page 168 may be dug 

 as soon as tubers reach any desired size. Care should 

 be taken, when digging, not to bruise their skin since 

 this will injure their keeping quality which, at best, 

 is very limited. Late varieties intended for winter use 

 should not be dug until vines have turned brown or black, 

 are perfectly dry, and easily pulled off the hill. 



Choose a dry, sunny day for digging, which may either 

 be done with spade, fork or, on large areas, a plow may 

 be brought into action. The tubers should be given an 

 hour or two to dry before they are gathered. 



A dry cellar with thorough drainage, where the tem- 

 perature averages thirty-two to thirty-six degrees, is ideally 

 adapted for keeping potatoes. They may be kept in 

 bins, flat boxes, barrels, or crates, so long as the air is 

 afforded a chance to circulate among them. On warm 

 days the cellar should be aired. During extremely cold 

 weather the bins or boxes should be protected by covering. 



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