SWEET POTATOES. 221 



STORING. 



The harvesting of this crop is a simple operation ; 

 the vines being removed, a man plows the crop out 

 with a large two horse plow. It is necessary to set it 

 deep enough and to have one wide enough to turn the 

 hills out completely ; a small plow and a shallow fur- 

 row cuts too many potatoes. In sandy loam there is 

 very little left to do else than to pick up the crop. 



The storing may be done in houses or banks. A 

 sweet potato house may be built of logs ; the cracks 

 daubed with clay mud.' The temperature should re- 

 main as low as possible without freezing ; there are 

 only occasional days when it will be cold enough to do 

 this, but as they are liable to occur every winter, one 

 must prepare for them as well as though they occur- 

 red more frequently. 



Select a dry place, as handy and as safe as possible ; 

 if the spot does not shed water make a bed of corn- 

 stalks about eight feet wide and as long as desired. 

 Pile the potatoes on this bed in an A-shaped pile about 

 six feet high. Pack this pile with corn stalks, rice, 

 straw, or boards may be used. Cover this with 

 loam to the depth of four or six inches. If straw is 

 used, a layer should be packed around the base of the 

 pile, then another higher up, and so on ; this will 

 cause it to turn water out. In banking the soil, the 

 same method should be followed. A number of ven- 

 tilators should be made of boards. Perforate these 

 with augur-holes, and have them run through the cen- 

 tral portion of the heap. Fix so that the rain can- 

 not enter through them. 



A small quantity may be kept by placing them in 

 dry sand or dry cotton-seed hull and keeping in a cool 

 place. These methods may be used to keep them over 

 from the time of taking them out of the bank until 



