H 
The Colorado Experiment Station. 
to the markets. These sacks are made of coarse burlap and hold 
from no to 120 pounds of potatoes. All potatoes are marketed 
in this way. Much expense in handling - and loss fiom stoiing 
is avoided by this system of marketing direct from the field but 
on the other hand, the markets are often over supplied and the 
price reduced, by throwing such a large quantity of potatoes onto 
the market at one time. With the present conditions, however, 
the marketing of a large per cent of the ciop from the field is 
necessary owing to lack of storage capacity on the farm. If the 
potatoes are to be stored in the “dugouts” or potato cellars, the 
sacks are only partly filled in the field then taken to the dugout 
and emptied into bins. 
The Storage House. The dugout or storage cellar is dis¬ 
tinctly a dry clfmate or western feature. While its principles 
of construction would not adapt it to places of heavy lainfall, it 
is not only cheap but most efficient as a storage place foi potatoes 
and other root crops in this climate. Being surrounded by soil 
on all sides, a nearly constant temperature is easily maintained. 
The loss from shrinkage by evaporation is also less than in ordinary 
cellars. 
The construction of the dugout is simple. An excavation 
is made in the ground of the required dimensions for the cellar 
and of a sufficient depth to give soil for covering the top. A 
frame of posts, timbers and rafters is then made as for a building 
This frame is covered with wire netting or brush. Over this two 
or three feet of straw is placed and this covered with soil to a 
depth of six to twelve inches. Figure 1, Plate IV, shows the method 
of covering the cellar with soil. Ventilator shafts are put in at 
regular intervals to give air circulation and keep the temperature 
from rising too high. Most of these dugouts have an alley through 
the center with doors at either end so that the wagon may be 
driven through. Double doors with a dead air space between are 
used as a protection against frost. 
These dugouts are often filled to their full capacity in the 
fall to hold the crop for a rise in price. If they are stored while 
the weather is yet warm the ventilators and doors are left open 
nights to give a circulation of cold air and closed during the heat 
of the day. In this way the bins are gradually cooled down and 
by giving close attention to the temperature the whole mass is 
kept as cool as possible without danger from frost. During the 
winter considerable care has to be exercised to prevent the temp¬ 
erature of the dugout from rising from the heat developed by the 
stored potatoes. This is regulated by opening and closing ‘the 
ventilator shafts as the case demands. 
