94 CONTINUOUS CROPPING 



HOW TO AVOID ROTTING 



Still another cause of potatoes going bad in the 

 clamp is their not being suf&ciently ventilated in 

 pitting. As a result of this the tubers sweat, and 

 sweating in a potato pit means disaster. 



To avoid this, having built up the potato pit in a 

 pyramid shape, lay on the top some nice straight straw 

 just as though thatching a rick. Then put about 

 6 inches of earth on top of the straw, and lay a plank 

 along the crest of the pit. The plank can be left along 

 the ridge for about a week, then taken off and the crest 

 also covered with soil. In doing this a wad of straw 

 should be inserted about every 4 feet along the crest 

 to act as a ventilator, and only on the approach of frost 

 should these wads be removed and a shovelful of soil 

 put in their .place. 



Of course, the soil for earthing up the pit should be 

 dug from a trench all round the clamp, so that when wet 

 weather does come this trench keeps the clamp fine 

 and dry. 



Now, as well as putting straw underneath the soil 

 next to the potatoes, a layer of thatch should be put 

 on outside the soil. The object of this is to turn off 

 the bulk of the rain and prevent it from soaking 

 through the soil. 



This outside thatch is a thing that isn't very often 

 done, but it is about the best " cinch " I have met for 

 keeping potatoes dry, and it is absplutely essential 

 where the soil is fairly light and porous, as on such a 

 soil the water easily soaks through. 



TURNING THE POTATOES 



About late January or early February the potatoes 

 ought to be turned to prevent them from shooting, and 

 to give them a little drying in case any water has got in. 



