Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-11-16
PUTTING Up POTATOES,

| Potatoes should be taken from the ground
| only IN fair weather, and left exposed TO the
sun and wind no longer than necessary. In
handling, care should be taken not TO brulse
the surface or break the skin 1t is com
mon error that potato will stand all man
ner of Ill usage and be none the worse for
it. Orchardists know that If an apple is
bruised in the gathering it Is not fit for win
ter keeping. La like manner farmers should
know that for tableuse the potato needs the
same careful handling 10 insure the best re-
suits A potato that is bruised or chafed,
or Is subject 20 u water bath after leaving
the ground, is materially injured for winter
keeping.
A potato Of the finer varieties. such as
Ncshannock, Peachblow, Kidney, Mercer,
Lady Finger, ate, when upon suitable
soil, properly harvested ard cooked right, is
q positive delicacy upon the table; but take
the same lot, let them be roughly handled,
ehated, immersed in water, and laid by IN
that ruined and undone condition for a few
weeks, and then cooked tolerably well, and
they are not very inviting dish
" hen the potato crop in Ireland failed,
and that people were confronted with star
vation, little did we Americans realize how
much suffering to the poor, and positive in
convenience to the rich, would be caused by
failure o. the potato crop III this country.
The potato Is both bread and meat IN many
households, and deserves all the consldera-
ton OF prime staple, as well as i luxury
n human food
Potatoes for table use should not be stor-
ed at all in wet cellar In such a place
their starch is hydrOgenized, thereby spoil
ing their finest quality for food; they be-
come soggy, and they will never cook dry or
mealy or the same reason where pota-
toes are stored in heaps out of doors and
covered with earth, avoid placing them on
any other than land which is naturally dry,
and where water Will not stan d. On sandy
land potatoes will keep very we'll in heaps,
il properly covered from the winter rams
and secured from frost.
Cellar storage Is most common among
farmers, and most convenient for household
purposes; but the cellar should be dry. If
the potatoes are free from disease, they may
be stored in close bins, with the tops cover
ed with dry sand or loam which will insure
perfect preservation. Potatoes which sre
tainted with rot must have their sore spots
dried up by exposure to t. e dry atmosphere
and dust of Stacked lime. Such potatoes
are not fit for human food, and should only
be used under protest in case Of dire neces-
sity.
In the storage of large quantities Of pota-
toes for stock use, say IN the barn cellars, 1t
is well to use dust of lime. We saw a
good example of this practice in the barn
cellars of the famous old agricutlurist, James
Gowan, of Germantown, near Philadelphia,
last fall. Mr.. Gowen feeds largely Of roots
to his stock in winter His ample stone
walled cellars were heaped with potatoes
and other roots all in the incest order. Be
fore putting in the stock Of roots for win
ter, Mr. Gowan has the walls and paved
floors nicely cleaned ana sprinkled with lime
dust. and, as the potatoes are put in, other
dustings are administered, by which all foul
yapors are avoided and the place is free
from the nausous atmosphere usually en-
countered where vegetables are stored in
any quantity.