Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-10-11

In the first place the crop should not Dc
touched till the weather is cool and the land
dry Potatoes are better oil IN the ground so
long as the mercury runs up TO ~ or 81
during the day They keep best in u cool
and uniform temperature, and this they do
not get in the cellar if dry, before the last of
September Indeed, We often have IL week
or ten days in the fore part of October so
warm ms to damage potatoes when piled I'M "a
light aud airy cellar have seen them stored
on the barn floor or in uu open shed at this
time Of year. tine tnrmgr waiting for @ con-
veui,nt season to carry them OH to market
1 would not pay half price for POTATOES that
had been thus exposed to the sam and air for
a week. This tubur was made 10 grow ln the
earth and to remain covered with earth ti
wanted for use. BY leaving the crop i'm the
ground till the weather is cool, we avoid all
danger of rot. If there isauy tendency to de
composition. it is sure to be hastencd by cy-
posure to air, and by being piled in large
quantities. II the rot mast come, / prefer 90
have decomposition take place ina the field
rather than in the cellar The contamination
of the air is bad enough in either place, but
in the house it is intolerabic. / have known
many a bin of potatoes to rot from being
stored too early. This involves not only "a
loss of the crop but u loss of labor.
To make the harvest OF this crop easy and
drills rather than hills Both planting and
harvesting can thus hc accomplished by horse
power 4 potato digger, rightly handled,
brings up the tnbers so easily ana 50 safely
that wonder that tins instrument is not IN
moro common Use. II the digging must be
done by hand power 10y all means use
sharp pointed shovel. or O. hroad-uned iork
rather than hoe. An lrshnan seems To be
a natural digger of the soil, and Patrick loft
To .hD MI I'd
shovel l have often admired the skill with
which he runs his sharp shovel under bill
of potatoes, and resting the handle ON his
knee Tor a iulcrum INT, tuherS ana talth to-
gcthor, scattering the latter evenly over the
ground, and adrolily collect nE the former IN
little heaps The soil OF potato patch that
has been dug 10y s6ii.iul freshman looks as
though 1t had been pared Tor an ONION
bed.
have already minated that the digging
should be done IN dry weather. Muddy pota-
toes are nuisance. We want the tuOers to
come ont OF the ground dry, so That they can
be housed immediately. II ihey must be lttt
on the field exposed to sun All the day. m or
der TO dry of the adherng mud, II is dam
age to them. Neither must potatoes be thrown
into II wagon rs though they were scuseltsN
stones The SKIN of Young potato Is deli
cate and easily brukyn. Tins SKIN has mis-
sion to perform. 1t rs OF eorky nature, and
keeps the Juices from cooperating. Farmers
have pretty generally learned to handle APP
pies carefully, but they do not so commonly
understand that potatoes need careful hand
ling. cut or bruised r"iaio Is half spoiled,
and should not To- sent to mark g. The com
mon practice of shovchns thrm with a steel
scoop shovel is harbarou- treatment If ;noy
must be shovclrd. use wooden scoop. 30
less damaging IS the practice of unloading pU-
tatoes into the cellar through shute, on
which they are thrown with vengeance, and
| allowed to fall some distance INTO the uiu.