H2 The Horticulturist's Rule- Book. 



Sweet potatoes, continued. 



shape of a cone, using from 10 to 20 bushels to each bank. 

 A triangular pipe made of narrow planks to act as a ven- 

 tilator should be placed in the middle of the cone. Cover 

 the tubers with straw 6 to 10 inches thick and bank the 

 latter with earth, first using only a small quantity, but in- 

 creasing the thickness a week or ten days afterwards. A 

 board should be placed upon the top of the ventilating 

 pipe to prevent water from reaching the tubers. Several 

 banks are usually made in a row, and a rough shelter of 

 boards built over the whole. The main point to be con- 

 sidered in putting up sweet potatoes for winter is entire 

 freedom from moisture and sufficient covering to prevent 

 heating. It is therefore advisable to allow the tubers to 

 undergo sweating (which invariably occurs after being put 

 in heaps) before covering them too much, and if the tem- 

 porary covering is removed for a few hours, a week after 

 being heaped, the moisture generated will be removed and 

 very little difficulty will follow from that cause. If covered 

 too thickly at once, the sweating often engenders rapid 

 fermentation, and loss is then certain to follow. Sand is 

 never used here in banking potatoes. Some varieties of 

 potatoes keep much better than pthers. The Yellow Sugar 

 Yam and the Pumpkin Yam are the most difficult to carry 

 through, while the Trinidad potato keeps as readily as 

 Irish potatoes, only requiring to be kept free from frost 

 and light by a slight covering of straw if the tubers are 

 placed in a house. Next in keeping quality come the 

 Hayti Yam, the Red-skinned, Brimstone, Nigger Killer, 

 and last of the potato section is the Nansemond 



Tomatoes. Pick the firmest fruits just as they are begin- 

 ning to turn, leaving the stems on, exercising care not to 

 bruise them, and pack in a barrel or box in clean and 

 thoroughly dry sand, placing the fruits so that they will 

 not touch each other. Place the barrel in a dry place. 



