8o 



Decay in Potato Clamps. 



[APRIL, 



In order to prevent losses during storage it cannot be too 

 strongly emphasised that extreme care should be paid to the 

 construction and ventilation of the clamps. The practical 

 suggestions given by Cotton and Taylor on pages 58 and 59 

 in the article referred to above, should be closely followed. 

 The main safeguard is to keep the potatoes dry and well aired. 

 A method of ventilation in common use in Germany, but 

 scarcely ever seen in this country, consists in, the laying of 

 poles along the ridge of the clamp after the first layers of straw 

 have been spread over the potatoes. Further layers of straw 

 are laid over these poles, and finally the earth casing is put on 

 the clamp. Channels on either side of the poles, running the 

 length of the clamp, and open to the air at both ends, are thus 

 provided. The ready entrance of rats and mice into these 

 open ends should be prevented by means of galvanised wire 

 netting of suitable mesh. 



