STORING 149 



piles over winter, more soil or old hay must be put 

 over them as the frost comes on. The mouth of the 

 pile should be closed at night, and care should be taken 

 to have no potatoes left on the ground at night. Rain 

 or frost may come on and injure them, or retard the 

 work. Sufficient covering must be put on the piles to 

 prevent the rain and sun discoloring the potatoes. I 

 have known a whole crop ruined by inattention to this 

 point. The rain browns them, and the sun makes them 

 green and unsalable. This method is not advisable in 

 the Northern States unless one is sure that they will 

 not want to sell or put up the potatoes until spring, as 

 the pit cannot be opened during frost or in wet 

 weather, and in spring moving potatoes on wet land is 

 objectionable. 



Cellars. — If seed potatoes only are held, they may 

 be kept in trays, bushel boxes, or barrels, storing 

 these so that air can circulate under and round them, 

 or they may be held in bins. 



Construction. — The location of the cellar should 

 be dry and well drained. It should be built under- 

 ground, of concrete, brick, or stone walls, with a 

 plastered ceiling if a building is above it, to make a 

 dead air-space between the plaster and the floor. Con- 

 crete walls are readily made with clean gravel, sand, 

 and cement, with boards to hold the material while set- 

 tling. Use one part of Portland cement, three of sand, 

 and six of gravel; mix the sand and cement, then add 

 the gravel; wet and mix, and fill into the wall-space. 

 To hold it in position while drying it is customary to 

 use I -inch boards, nailed onto 2 x 4-inch studding, 

 which may be placed i foot 6 inches on centers. To pre- 



