I20 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING 



for a pit is not at hand, bad drainage may be overcome by 

 simply piling the potatoes on the surface of the ground and 

 covering. If this is done, the covering will need to be much 

 thicker than for pits. It is best to have the potatoes on two 

 or three inches of hay or straw, and covered with about the 

 same thickness. The covering should protect from frost and 

 turn water well. 



"The pits should be round, or long and narrow, so that 

 the pile may be in the form of a cone or rick. The potatoes 

 should not stand more than three feet deep in the pile. Small 

 piles containing from six to ten bushels have nearly always 

 given the best results in this locality. The power' of the soil 

 to absorb noxious gases is depended on as the only source 

 of ventilation, and can not act successfully in large piles. 

 Sometimes large pits are ventilated to advantage by placing 

 a trough or piece of drain tile in the south side of the pit near 

 the top. The tile is placed in a horizontal position, with one 

 end in the straw that covers the potatoes and the other just 

 outside the covering of soil. Another ventilator of the same 

 form may be placed just at the surface of the ground. The 

 ventilators must be closed and covered during very cold 

 weather. 



" A large proportion of the loss of root crops in pits is due 

 to the crops being unfit for storage when placed in pits. This 

 point can not be too closely watched. If this loop-hole for 

 decay is carefully guarded and good drainage secured, the 

 remaining requirements can be provided at will. The pro- 

 tection from the sun and from frost required will depend 

 largely on location." 



It is better, when such a pit is opened, of course, 

 to take the entire contents out at once. However, it 

 is often feasible to make a small opening in one side, 

 and to remove the potatoes or turnips a few at a time. 

 I remember well how, when I was a boy, I used to be 

 sent to the potato pit day after day to get enough for 

 dinner; and no less an authority than Mr. John Bur- 



