Storing Turnips, Mangold, Potatoes, and Carrots. 3G3 
perly dry, be taken to the pits, where they are to be kept for the 
winter. 
These pits or " pies," as they are sometimes called, are made 
by removing all the top-soil to the depth of about a spit and 
a-half : some good dry wheat-straw is then laid in the bottom, 
and at the side, and the potatoes are then put in, and are heaped 
up above the surface, as high as they will lie, so as to make the 
sides as nearly upright as possible, the pressure of the earth 
being thus diminished ; a thick coat of well-drawn dry wheat- 
straw is then laid over them, and on this is placed a complete 
covering of earth about six inches thick. From two to three 
tons will be sufficient to put into each pit. On clay-lands the 
heaps are generally placed on the surface for the sake of dry- 
ness. 
Some persons prefer storing the potatoes in houses made 
entirely for the purpose. Doubtless this is the best plan where 
it can be done, as the store can be looked over at any time during 
the winter, when the shoots that have begun to sprout may be 
rubbed off, and decayed tubers may be removed. 
Carrots. 
Carrots are usually harvested in the beginning of November ; 
dry weather being selected for the Avork. They are usually 
lifted by men or women, with a fork or spoon-shaped spade light 
enough to be used with one hand, so that the other hand may 
be applied to the tops of the carrots. Great care should be 
taken to prevent the roots breaking off in the ground : when 
raised they are laid in rows far enough apart to allow a cart to 
pass between them, and the tops are cut or twisted off by children. 
They should be left in the field a few hours to dry before 
being carted home, where they should be laid in long heaps 
about 3-| feet wide at the base and 2^ feet high, which, like the 
mangold store, should taper to the top, and receive a covering of 
straw and earth. 
In spring the heaps of unconsumed carrots should be looked 
over, the decayed roots picked out, and the shoots rubbed from 
the sound ones ; if they are required for late use, the crown 
should be cut off completely. After being looked over, the 
roots are heaped as before, but only covered with straw. Carrots 
are also stored in sheds, and covered over with straw. The 
cost of taking up carrots varies very much, according to the 
mode in which they are grown; the old plan was to sow them 
broadcast, but they are now commonly drilled, and the carrots 
are readily forked up when in rows. 
For a crop sown broadcast the cost of taking up, topping, 
