IRISH POTATOES. 213 



STOKING. 



In colder climates all that is necessary is to keep the 

 potatoes from freezing, and usually they will remain 

 sound until spring. As soon as warm weather ap- 

 proaches they begin to sprout. This may be prevented 

 by keeping the cellar cool. In the South the matter of 

 keeping them stored is not quite so simple, as the tem- 

 perature is usually so high that germination begins 

 soon after ripening. A very successful way of keep- 

 ing potatoes for family use is to kill the buds, and then 

 barrel the tubers to prevent excessive evaporation. 

 One half to one per cent, sulphur acid will accomplish 

 the above. The potatoes are placed in the liquid used 

 for an hour and then removed to dry. Of course, this 

 will remove all vitality of the buds, and they can be used 

 for food only. The operation kills many germs of decay 

 at the same time, and in this much it acts as a preser- 

 vative. Another excellent way is to keep the tubers in 

 thoroughly dried sand, to. which one part in four of 

 air-slacked lime has been added. This me hod has an 

 advantage in that their germinating power is not de- 

 stroyed. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



A great many different methods of cultivation and 

 general treatment with a view of lessening the amount 

 of labor or increasing the yield, have been tried, but 

 most of these have fallen short of a general success. 

 The methods of planting and cultivating are practi- 

 cally the same throughout the United States. 



The large yields that one reads about are produced 

 by persons who have served their apprenticeship at 

 this kind of gardening. One should not expect to 

 raise a heavy crop until he is well acquainted with the 

 fields to be used, and familiar with many kinds of po- 

 tatoes. Over the greater portion of the South it is 



