386 GARDEN FARMING 



dimensions to hold the crop to be stored, and is roofed over with 

 poles, straw and earth, or concrete. Sometimes the side walls con- 

 sist only of posts set in the excavation to carry the roof timbers, 

 while in other cases both the side walls and the roof are constructed 

 of concrete. An idea of the appearance of one of these cellars is 

 given in figure 28, page 84. These storage pits are frequently filled 

 at digging time and the crop held until the approach of mild 

 weather in the spring. It is necessary in selecting a location for 

 these pits to make sure that a draft of air may be secured through 

 them so that the temperature may be lowered as required. After the 

 contents of the pit have been lowered to a safe temperature, the 

 doors and ventilators are closed, and opened only as is necessary 

 to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the storage period. 



Economic relation of the potato crop of the North to that of the 

 South. The commercial production of potatoes in the United States 

 presents a most interesting economic study, because we have two 

 large areas producing this crop at different seasons of the year. At 

 the North there is an immense autumn crop, a part of which goes 

 into storage each year, both in the hands of growers and of dealers. 

 The quantity of this hold-over crop determines to a great extent 

 the prices which may be obtained for the early truck crop grown 

 in the South Atlantic States, which comes into the Northern mar- 

 kets during April, May, and June. When these Northern potatoes 

 are abundant and have been well kept, they are usually offered 

 in Northern markets during the months of May and June at very 

 low prices. The truck-crop potatoes, which naturally come into 

 competition with these at this season of the year, suffer in conse- 

 quence. In seasons when the late crop is normal or slightly below 

 the normal, prices for the truck crop will then be better. 



The following table, which is a comparison of the potato crops 

 of 1908 and 1909, presents some very interesting information. 



Average price to grower (old crop), January i, 1909, 72 cents per bushel. 

 Price of new crop (truck), June i, 1909, $3. 25-^4.00 per barrel. 



