FREEZING INJURY TO POTATOES WHEJf UNDERCOOLED. 



13 



The injury to these potatoes was not serious. All affected ones 

 showed only a faint blotching. In the next experiment a mixed lot 

 of 12 potatoes was held at 28° F. for 72 hours while supporting a 

 100-pound bag of sand. No evidence of injury was apparent. 



An attempt was made to show that potatoes when undercooled are 

 liable to be injured by ordinary handling. Duplicate half-bushel 

 lots of potatoes representing four varieties, viz, Triumph, Russet. 

 Rural, Spaulding No. 4, and American Giant, were put together in 

 four bags and held at 28° F. for 24 hours. Then one lot of two bags 

 was rolled across the floor for a distance of about 30 feet. After 

 24 hours all were removed. Examination showed the results pre- 

 sented in Table VII. 



Table VII. — Freezing injury to potatoes of four different varieties held at 28° F. 

 for 24 hours and then rolled 30 feet in a bag while undercooled. 



Variety. 



Rolled. 



Cheek. 



Triumph 



Spaulding No. 4. 

 American Giant 

 Russet Rural.... 



Per cent 

 injured. 



A similar experiment was carried out in which two lots of 12 of 

 each of the seven varieties were placed in two bags and held at 28° F. 

 for 24 hours. One was then rolled about 50 feet. After another 

 period of 24 hours all were removed and held for examination. The 

 results obtained are shown in Table VIII. 



Table VIII. — Freezing injury to potatoes of seven different varieties held at 

 28° F. for 21t hours and then rolled 50 feet in a bag ivhile undercooled. 





Rolled. 



Check. 



Variety. 



Number 

 injured. 



Number 

 uninjured. 



Number 

 injured. 



Number 

 uninjured. 



Triumph 



5 



12 

 

 2 

 12 

 8 

 7 



7 

 



12 

 10 

 

 4 

 5 





 

 

 

 

 

 



12 



Irish Cobbler 



12 



Spaulding No. 4 



12 





12 



Rural New Yorker 



12 



Russet Rural 



12 





12 







Total 



46 



38 







84 







A distinct varietal difference is shown here. In neither experiment 

 did the Spaulding No. 4 variety show injury. The American Giant 

 was also less susceptible than the rest of the varieties. The Irish 

 Cobbler, Rural New Yorker, and Russet Rural showed the greatest 

 percentage of injury. In these experiments the potatoes did not 

 receive the amount of jolting or rough handling that they might be 



