Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-11-19
Gathering ANA Scoring Potatoes.

The Neao Yorker says: The'pota-
to crop Is an important one in many
sections, and now that the price has
opened SO low, and there is scarcely
market at any price, in some places
farmers who have ten, twenty or thir-
ty acres are puzzled what to do with
them: Early digging implies twice
handling, while it seems to be neces-
sary in order to get the bulk of the
crop harvested before COLI weather
sets in. 1t is certain, however, that
early potatoes should not be stored
in hot weather unless fully ripe
Their skins are tender, and if pitted
in the field in warm weather these
unripe potatoes speedily heat and rot.
We have known where potatoes COW
cred in the field have become total
loss within two weeks after pitting.
AS the weather becomes cooler this
danger lessons, partly from the fact
that tubers are generally ripper. Even
when piled in railroad cars these un-
ripe potatoes are dangerous handling.
Almost every year some dealers are
badly bitten early in the season from
loss in shipping unripe and decaying
potatoes; tbs this danger and frequent
lpss which generally "breaks" the po-
tato market early in the season, from
which it sometimes does not recover
uutil late in the fall. 1t would be
better for grocers, dealers, aud all
parties, if no potatoes could be mar
keted before the last OF September,
except to supply demands from day
to day for immediate consumption
Any attempt to store stock Of these
early potatoes is pretty certain to re-
suit in loss.
Storing potatoes for winter is in
northern attitudes almostequally risky
business. The experience of hun
dreds Of farmers during the parst two
or three very severe winters has been
disastrous. Frost penetrated open
ground not covered by snow last
winter as deep as four feet. OF
course most potato heaps were frozen
into and their contents destroyed
But not all. 1t is possible with pro-
per care to cover potatoes SO that
frost cannot get iu. What is needed
is one or two extra layers of straw or
other material, to hold confined air
between the potatoes and the outer
cold. This is the use OF the straw or
potato top covering over the heap
before the earth is put on. This con-
fined air is much better non-con-
ductor Of heat than earth, and is the
best reliance for protection. TO make
it more sure, after covering the heap
with five or six inches more Of earth,
add another covering OF straw, and
then earth this as before. This dou-
BILE wall OF earth with spaces of con-
fined air between is much more
effective than solid body of earth to
exclude frost. We know potatoes
which were uninjured last winter
when thus protected, while it would
have been almost impossible to COW
err them deep enough to insure pro-
lection.
1t was difficult last winter to save
potatoes in many cellars. Frost pen
etrated where it was never known to
before. Aside from frost, there is
further difficulty In storing potatoes
in many cellars, which are too warm
and dry toward spring, causing the
shoots to start and the potatoes to
shrivel and lose substance and flavor.
This is especially true Of potatoes of
early varieties, or those kept late for
seed. The long shoots broken off at
planting time detract much from the
vitality OF the potato, and if not bro
ken off they mostly shrivel and
die after planting. In ether case
secondary eyes have to start, involv-
ing loss Of time and greater loss in
the vigor of the plant. We believe
late planting Of the main crop import
ant as protection against attacks of
the potato beetle; but to be effective
the late planted seed must be perfect
and ready to start and grow vigor-
ously. In this respect potatoes care
fully pitted i'll the field generally ex-
Gel, and at least enough for seed
should be SO saved every year, espec-
tally Of early varieties most liable to
sprout. 1t you are afraid to risk pit
ting in the field store the potatoes in
the cellar, and cover the heaps with
fresh sod. The earth over the pota-
toes will keep moisture from evapor-
ating, protect from excessive cold in
winter, and from too warm an atmos-
phere in spring. If the soil becomes
too dry, sprinkle it occasionally
through the winter with water. We
learned this hint from finding Early
Rose potatoes which had lam OIL the
bare ground in cellar, to the LIST of
June, firm and in excellent condition
for eating or planting, while the same
variety not in contact with the soil
had sprouts foot long, and were soft
and poor. As it is the dry, warm air
which causes the potatoes to sprout,
a layer of sods over the heap will OBJ |