3G2 Storing Turnips, JSIangold, Potatoes, and Carrots. 
five yards a space four feet wide should be uncovered down to 
the bottom ; this is done to let out the heat caused about this 
time by the sprouting of the roots : if this heat cannot escape, 
they will soon decay. Mangold so stored will keep till July. 
Potatoes. 
The middle or end of October is the time for harvesting this 
crop, except the early sorts, which are begun in the latter part of 
September, and are taken up as required to supply the demand. 
As soon as the haulm has withered and begun to decay, the roots 
may be taken up and placed in houses, being laid in heaps, with 
straw or boards between them to separate the different sorts. 
The first part of the process is, to pull up by hand the 
whole of the haulm or stalks, and lay them in bundles on 
the ground ready for burning, or carting into the yards ; any 
potatoes that come up on the stems may be shaken off and left 
upon the ground ; by this means, the land is cleared ready for 
the diggers to follow. Each digger with his fork takes one 
ridge, women and children act as pickers. 
Potatoes are also ploughed out with a double mould-board 
plough, every other row being done alternately, so as to prevent 
covering up with the plough. After all the ridges have been 
ploughed, and the potatoes picked up, a light harrow is passed 
over the field, to bring any that may be left to the surface, so 
that they may be found by the pickers. 
The work, if done entirely by hand — that is, the mere raising 
the potatoes with forks, and the women and children picking 
them up and putting them into sacks or carts — will cost from 
21s. to 24s. per acre ; but with the double plough the work is 
much facilitated, and its cost reduced. The ploughing will 
come to from As. or 5s., and the picking to 6s. or 7s. per acre ; so 
that the entire cost is reduced by more than half. 
The two evils to guard against in storing potatoes (as in other 
root-crops) are fermentation and premature germination. If the 
former takes place, the tubers very soon decay ; and if the latter, 
they not only lose much of their goodness as food, but are 
weakened for use as sets, since all the shoots have to be broken 
off before planting. To prevent this, it is of the utmost im- 
portance to have the tubers perfectly dry before they are stored 
for the winter. 
Therefore, in the first place, fine weather should be selected 
for the work ; when taken up, they should be put into sheds 
or houses, and left for two or three days, then turned over and 
sorted, small or unsound roots being picked out for the cattle 
stock. Those selected and reserved for sale should, when pro- 
