148 Southern Gardener^s Practical Mammal 



happens that a rain just before the frost renews the 

 growth and produces a sappy condition of the potato. 

 There is usually a protracted drought in the fall which 

 checks if it does not stop growth, inducing a dry 

 condition of the roots which promotes their keeping 

 qualities. The best and most reliable indication of 

 ripeness is manifested by the prompt formation of an 

 artificial skin over a cut surface. If the potato is in a 

 growing condition, the cut surface will become dark by 

 exposure, while the matured root will promptly heal the 

 wound by an apparent crystallization of the sap over the 

 wound, forming a white artificial skin for its protection. 

 Potatoes are generally very roughly treated in digging, 

 and carelessly handled afterwards. The skin of fruits 

 and the bark of plants are intended to protect the 

 interior from access of air with its burden of germs. 

 Puncture a growing peach, and the plant at once repairs 

 the injury; puncture it when ripe, and it promptly 

 begins to rot at that point. Its recuperative power no 

 longer exists. The sweet potato is cut or bruised by the 

 plow; it is then picked up and pitched to the pile some 

 six or eight feet away, where it falls upon its mates or 

 perhaps strikes a stone. In either case its natural pro- 

 tecting cover is broken and access to its interior given 

 to the germs of destruction. The potatoes are thrown 

 into a rough split basket, which when filled is handled 

 by holding opposite sides, and these being elastic, the 

 skin is again rubbed from the potatoes. They are 

 dumped into the naked wagon -body and still further 

 bruised, hauled over a rough road and roughly handled 

 in the baskets again. The fermentation which takes 



