The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-11-07
For The -AgiS d. Intelligencer.
How Potatoes may be Kept from Injury
by the Winter.

One of the most important articles to both
consumer and producer is the potato A large
crop benefits the former, by reason of dimin-
ished price, and still brings an excellent reve-
nue. to the latter in increased profit on his
land. The potato, containing great amount
of water, and maturing in the fall, is apt to be
injured by changes of the atmosphere, if not
properly protected in warm cellars, or by some
suitable covering. Farmers and others have
| frequently experienced more or less loss in
this respect. tbs conceived that good pur-
pose will be subserved by specifying how this
| loss may be prevented in cases where cellars
and houses are not used; and the statement
here made being matter of fact, as practised
| by the writer some years ago, can be verified
as to its trustworthiness, by any one disposed
to make the like experiment 1t must not,
however, be objected that there is Mathematics
in it, or that it must be done in a mathematical
| order
| Book farming may be derded by the ignor-
ant or the selfopinionated, yet as regards the
whole subject of potato raising and saving
not single step can be taken without involy-
ing some one of the many beautiful principles
of mathematics, philosophy or chemistry.
Now, my young friend, you sprightly and
intelligent son of farmer, forced by the hard
ness of the times to stay at home, and in their
| several seasons to plant, work and dig this
valuable root crop, when your merry soul, in
nocent heart and active mind impel you to
wish to be at school amidst your books and
your plays, you will doubtless smile at the
| thought of all these things being concerned
with the potato. But look square, an OBJ
| long parallelogram, or perhaps triangle, in
some OIL corner, is chosen for potato raising.
The ground is first plowed in straight lines;
| is afterwards finely prepared by the roller and
| harrow; burrows are then run out, three feet
apart; the potatoes are cut, portions are drop
ped, they would be better placed by hand, eyes
| upward potatoes of course,) 10, Is or IS
inches from each other. The subsequent
working is mechanical operation. The fine
| filth, the atmosphere, the rains, the sunshine,
the dew, the fertilizers and home manures, ali
these call into play land work, too) one or
more of those grand operations, hidden by the
Creator in philosophy and chemistry. And
| after the crop is made and gathered up, mathe-
matics must again be called into requisiton to
| preserve it from the injurious effects of that
very philosophy which had previously given
| it nourishment and growth.
Ii the potatoes are not placed in cellars or
houses, free from sudden changes of the
weather, they ought to be put up in kns to
keep them from freezing. In making the
kilns, a circle is first marked out on some high
and dry spot-dug down, say one foot
only, and there appears a shallow pit or
cylinder. Into this, straw or leaves are
thrown, and upon this bed 10, 90, 30
or more bushels are poured, forming the
| shape of cone, pointing upwards. A cover
of straw is now laid quite thickly over the
cone. The earth from the pit is then throw
around it to the height of Is inches and about
inches in width.
Now, just at this time is the critical moment
for keeping the potatoes safe and sound
This siX-inch breadth of EARTH so thrown up
must be trampled well and compactly all
around. Another course must now be
thrown up and likewise trampled, and so on
up to the very top. This is the only case |
know of where the tramp makes himself
useful member of the community. When
potatoes, sound and dry, are so put up with
dry straw and earth there will scarcely be any
loss at all on opening in the spring; surely
not over peck for every so bushels The
reasonableness of the whole thing is this:-
If the earth is not tightly packed it will fall
in, and instead of shedding the water, the
rains and snow will percolate through the
earth and destroy the potatoes. The mat, e d
NAUTICAL or cone shape into which mo waters
can possibly enter, will best keep the potatoes
from injury.
If any one thinks worth while to read this
piece, let him say to himself, like Mr. Greeley,
'this is what know about potatoes"
j. LII. C..