Potatoes. 279 



Lifting and Storing. Lifting begins with early Potatoes, 

 which are dug " green " for the early market as soon as the 

 tubers have grown to a saleable size. They should be lifted 

 with a broad-tined fork, as they are easily damaged and need 

 careful handling. This work should be done on a fine dry 

 day, when the soil is in a nice workable condition, as then the 

 tubers turn out clean and bright, and are more readily saleable 

 than when there is a lot of dirt adhering to them. Potatoes 

 should not be lifted for storing until the haulm has died 

 down, when they will be grown to their full size and have firm 

 skins. When the crop is intended for seed purposes, a certain 

 degree of immaturity is desirable, as already indicated, in 

 which case the crop would be lifted whilst the tops are still 

 green. Small crops are, of course, lifted with the fork, but on 

 large areas Potato ploughs or Potato diggers are now exten- 

 sively used for lifting the main crops. Unless the Potatoes 

 are turning out clean and the weather is settled it is best not 

 to lift more than can be dealt with each day, or the soil may 

 get dried on to them ; or rain may fall on them whilst lying on 

 the newly-turned soil, and the task of collecting and cleaning 

 them would then be made more difficult and disagreeable. 

 When the tubers are coated with dirt, this is usually rubbed off 

 with the hands before clamping. In wet weather or on heavy 

 land the tubers are sometimes in such a dirty condition that it 

 is necessary to wash them before they are presentable, in which 

 case it is best to dispose of them without storing, as they do 

 not keep well after being washed. 



Women are usually employed for picking up the Potatoes, 

 one collecting the " ware," or largest sound tubers, another the 

 " seed," or middle sized ones, and a third the " chats " and 

 " tail," in which is included all the smallest, as well as diseased 

 and broken ones, which are usually reserved for pig feeding 

 or disposed of locally. Any handy-sized baskets are used for 

 collecting them, but some growers provide the women with a 

 strong apron made of sacking, with a piece of strong netting 

 in the middle to allow the dirt to pass through. When prices 

 are good a portion of the crop is usually despatched to market 

 direct from the field, in which case a weighing machine is kept 

 close to the pickers and the ware is put into bags, weighed, 



