SWEET-POTATO STORAGE STUDIES. 



13 



the three varieties for the storage period of 16i days was 13.83 per 

 cent when stored at 50° to 55° F., 15.27 per cent at 55° to 60° F., and 

 15.70 per cent at 60° to 65° F. These percentages are fairly low for 

 such a long storage period, especially for storage in crates. At 111 

 days in this experiment, this period being comparable to the time 

 sweet potatoes are ordinarily held in storage, the average percentage 

 of shrinkage was 11.33 at 50° to 55° F., 12.47 at 55° to 60° F., and 

 13.22 at 60° to 65° F. 



Table 6. — Relation of temperature during storage ot the keeping quality of 



sweet potatoes. 



[Shrinkage and decay averages of three standard varieties in storage-house tests during two seasons.] 





Tem- 

 pera- 

 ture. 



Weight 1 

 at har- 

 vest 

 time. 



Loss 

 in 

 weight 

 dur- 

 ing 

 cur- 

 ing. 



Loss in weight at end of — 







Variety. 



51 

 days. 



82 

 days. 



111 



days. 



141 

 days. 



164 days. 



Loss due to 



decay in 164 



days. 



Big-Stem Jersey — 

 Southern Queen 



°F. 

 50 to 55 

 50 to 55 

 50 to 55 



Lbs. 

 142.56 

 140.00 

 153.09 



Per ct. 

 6.59 

 7.14 

 7.83 



Per ct. 

 8.02 

 8.46 

 9.12 



Per ct. 

 9.42 

 9.69 



10.49 



Per ct. 

 10.88 

 11.03 

 12.00 



Per ct. 

 12.09 

 12.12 

 13.21 



Lbs. 

 19.31 

 18.44 

 22.50 



Per ct. 

 13.54 

 13.10 

 14.69 



Lbs. 

 1.81 



.84 

 .59 



Per ct. 



1.27 



.60 



.38 



Total for three 



435.67 













60.25 



13.83 



3.25 





Average for 

 three varie- 





7.23 



8.55 



9.88 



11.33 



12.49 



.75 





55 to 60 

 55 to 60 

 55 to 60 







Big-Stem Jersey 



144.16 

 144.47 

 151.72 



7.74 

 8.50 

 8.71 



9.02 

 9.73 

 9.68 



10.82 

 11.12 

 11.53 



12.59 

 12.74 

 12.09 



14.24 

 14.30 

 14.03 



22.50 

 22.31 

 22.44 



15.61 

 15.45 

 14.79 



1.69 



.72 

 .56 



1.17 

 .49 



Southern Queen 



.37 



Total for three 



440.34 













67.25 



15.27 



2.97 





Average for 

 three varie- 





8.32 



9.48 



11.16 



12.47 



14.18 



.67 





60 to 65 

 60 to 65 

 60 to 65 







Big-Stem Jersey 



Nancy HaD 



139.94 

 143. 16 

 150. S3 



7.98 

 9.17 

 6.73 



9.60 

 11.05 

 8.24 



12.10 

 13.18 

 10.40 



13.75 

 14.69 

 11.73 



15.46 

 15. 89 

 12.81 



23.62 

 24.12 

 20.34 



16.85 

 16.85 

 13.51 



3.31 



.78 



2.36 

 .54 









Total for three 



433. 62 













68.09 



15.70 



4 09 





Average for 

 throe varie- 





7.93 



9.61 



11.87 



13.22 



14.68 



.96 











1 Weight means the average weight of potatoes stored per year (total weight divided by 2). 



Toward the end of the storage period the Big-Stem Jersey usually 

 withers at the tips, while the two other varieties remain plump. The 

 Southern Queen retains its plumpness better than the others. For 

 tlii- reason Jersey varieties are usually marketed first. 



KEEPING QUALITIES OF SWEET POTATOES STORED IN BINS 



AND IN CRATES. 



9t eel potatoes may be stored in bins, or in crates, boxes, hampers, 

 baskets, or other containers. It is often asserted tha,1 crates, baskets, 

 ami other containers are better, than, hi ns, because when decay sets in 

 it i likely to be confined <o the container holding only a small <|uan- 



