The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-09
New Plan of storing Potatoes.

Mr. Henry Ives, one of the extensive
potato growers of Genesee County, New
York where twenty TO forty and sometimes
eighty acres devoted to this cropare common
on individual farms describes as follows in
the American CultivatOr his plan of keep
ing the crop through winter. which he has
found by experience insures all the adj
vantages of the pitting system, without any
of its drawbacks:
The potatoes are put i'm middling tight
bins, Of a capacity of from fifty to 500 BUSH
els each, and, If need be, three or four feet
deep in the heap. As soon as thus stored
they are covered with a course of straw
which will prevent the top specimens from
turning green. and. besides. will absorb or
aid in removing the moisture generated by
the potatoes while passing through the
sweat. a few weeks later, or before winter
sets in draw good load of earth Ga light
sandy loan is best and cover the straw three
or four inches deep, which places the tubers
in nearly the same condition as buried or
pitted potatoes. This operation is much
more easily performed than pitting in the
field, for single load of dirt is sufficient to
pit over a bin of from 200 to 800 bushels.
''There are several advantages in this sys-
tenn of management First, the potatoes
are well housed, and in such a location that
they can be easily looked after at any time
Security against frost is maintained, even if
the cellar is cold. If wanted at any time
for market or other purposes, the potatoes
are accessible on short notice The fresh
and crisp quality SO much desired in pota-
toes is retained In as high degree as in
those specimens stored in pits. BY this new
method of storage the percentage of shrink
age is far less than by the Open-bin method.
In fact, ! find in my experience that | save
enough in weight alone on the lots
sell TO pay me well for the extra expense of
earthing them over. | recommend keeping
the storage cellar quite cool Potatoes stored
by this plan do not sprout so early in the
spring as those kept open in the cellar, but
they should be uncovered early, since the
sprouts will grow very rapidly on them
retain their good quality as well as those in
pits, while the farmer secures the use
OF his cellar as storage-place
Il follow the same practice in keeping all
other vegetables, except onions, in the cellar
In storing cabbage, first litter the cellar
bottom with straw, putting on row after row
of cabbages, one course deep, with heads
inverted, finally throwing the loan over
them. until nothing can be seen of them
except the roots sticking up. The cab
bages can be taken out one at a time
as wanted, without disturbing the
balance, and will be found as crisp and
well-bleached as those which have been
buried in pits For the few beets, turnips
and carrots stored for family use through
the winter | Use, for convenience sake,
few old barrels as places of storage. placing
the roots carefully in the barrels and cover
ing with half bushel of earth TO each bar
rel. In this way the quality of the roots
will be much better preserved than in any
other method. In keeping apples, ii is
claimed by those who know, covering Of
plaster answers an excellent purpose. This
seems reasonable, although l have never
tried the method"