HOW TO SAVE SWEET POTATOES. 79 



days. Potatoes ripen rapidly at this season of the year, 

 and nothing is lost by delay, unless there be danger of a 

 killing frost. 



" To understand fully the plan of saving potatoes it is 

 necessary to commence with the house ; and by this we 

 do not mean a building made tight to preserve the pota- 

 toes, but merely a house to keep the sand, dust or earth 

 dry and to keep out rogues. The one used at my fa- 

 ther's is a log cabin, with an earthen floor covered to 

 the depth of two feet (less, we think, would do), with dry 

 sand, dust or earth. "When the potatoes are dug move 

 them and pile up in the corners of the house, to remain 

 in this condition until they go through a sweat. The time 

 occupied in this process depends largely on the state of 

 the weather. Should the weather become cool suffi- 

 ciently to chill the potatoes, a little straw or leaves should 

 be placed over them, and a little sand, dust or dry earth 

 also when the sweating is through with. Then com- 

 mence to put away for future use by emptying a basket- 

 ful in the center of the house and throwing oyer this 

 pile a few shovelfuls of dry material (sand is best). Con- 

 tinue this until all the potatoes are put into this big 

 heap and covered to the depth of two or three inches 

 with one of the materials above mentioned. Should a 

 rogue break into your heap, or the covering be neglected, 

 only those exposed to the weather will spoil. You can 

 go into the bank without any danger, and you can rest 

 assured that your potatoes will keep from year to year. 



"The final covering may be two or three inches when 

 first put away, but as the weather grows cold (especially 

 as applied to colder sections), this, doubtless, we think, 

 should be increased to an extent sufficient to secure the 

 potatoes from cold or freezing." 



