MODE OF HARVESTING STORING. 47 



pose of bringing them all up to the surface, where they 

 may be collected by the workers boys or girls and 

 either laid together in small heaps, preparatory to carting, 

 or weighed at once in sacks, and thus made ready for the 

 market. Should any have remained covered up in the 

 soil, a light turn with the grubber across the field will 

 generally effectually clear it of the crop. 



It is most important that suitable * weather should be 

 selected for this operation. A few days' delay is of no 

 consequence in comparison with the chances of injury to 

 the land and to the crop, by getting it up in bad condition. 

 If the weather or the soil be wet, the land is sure to suffer 

 some injury from being moved and trampled on during 

 the work, and the tubers never keep so well. In dry 

 weather, the stirring of the soil in lifting the crop is 

 beneficial to it, and the tubers speedily get into a proper 

 state for storing. In all cases it is desirable to expose 

 them for a few days on the ground previous to storing, 

 in order that they may get thoroughly dry, and pass 

 through their heating process (p. 436, vol. i.) previous to 

 being closed up in the heap or " clamp." This heating 

 process is greatly influenced by the condition of growth 

 of the potato at the period of lifting. If fully matured, 

 the change it undergoes is far less than if not quite ripe, 

 and its keeping property is less likely to be disturbed. 

 Potatoes being of a smaller size than either turnips or 

 mangolds, they pack closer, and ventilation is less easily 

 secured; therefore, they should always be placed in smaller 

 heaps when exposed on the field, and then covered over 

 with their tops or "shaws," so as to protect them as much 

 as possible from the weather. This covering may be re- 

 moved in the day, and again put on in the evening, taking 

 especial care that they are not exposed to the action of 

 frost, which would at once injure .them, so as to render 

 them unfit for keeping. 



