The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-23

joints, or by any other convenient
mode. The construction should be
such that the partition can be readily
removed the following spring. Said
compartment can be used for storing
potatoes for present use, without sand
ing.
POTATOES FOR SUMMER USE.
Place the potatoes in a box so they
will not touch, first a layer of sand,
then a layer of potatoes. Thus con-
tinue until the box is filled. 1t is be
lieved thai if treated thus they will be
found in good condition the following
August Try few boxes and see.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS.
a successful application Of sand 1Vhe'1
the potatoes oUere green.
I once dug my potatoes and place d
them in pile for hilling the evening
of the same day. About dark, the
weather being quite cool, I poured dry
sand among them; but the quantity of
sand was not sufficient, there being, l
suppose, at least bushels that had no
sand. The potatoes were then we'll
covered with corn shucks to prevent
injury from frost, we next morning
having a very heavy one. After the
frost melted off removed the shucks
and completed the hill by first placing
corn stalks and then drifting in the
usual way. In order to keep the po
tatoes warm, placed some potato
vines around the hill; the vines soon
created a fog of heat and had to be re-
moved,
When I opened the hill the following
spring found that every potato out
side of the sand was completely rotten,
a black thorough rot, while those GOV
cred with the sand were perfectly
sound, appearing to have undergone
no material change since they were
dug. l broke several and the milk ran
out as freely as it would have done the
day they were dug.
now call attention to few points
1st. That the potatoes, though green
when sanded, kept perfectly sound,
there scarcely being rotten one in the
sand.
2nd. That the heat generated by the
potato vines did not affect the potatoes
in the sand. Hence if the potatoes and
sand do not themselves generate heat,
they are not likely to be affected by
any outside temperature, neither heat
nor cold.
An unsuccessful application Of sand
1Uhe'a the potatoes acre green.
The next season I placed a large
quantity of potatoes, probably 300
bushels, in bulk and added dry sand
Immediately after placing, the weather
being warm. A heat was soon gener-
ated, and was compelled to feed them
as rapidly as possible to prevent rot
ting. We may call them a total loss.
An experiment ICbeTe the potatoes acre
cured before the SGnd IUas applied.
The next potato crop treated differ
emily. piled in the patch and covered
with straw until they went through a
sweat They were then hauled and
placed in long row, like the roof of a
house, which was done to avoid put
ting them in bulk. I consider 25 to 80
bushels ample for circular, or sound
hill, but if it be made oblong any de,
sired quantity can be placed.
The hill was then completed by
placing corn stalks around it and dirt
ing in the usual way. The hill was left
open at the top aud so remained until
cold weather set in, or say until nearly
cold enough to form ice. The sand had
been previously dried by piling on top
of dead wood and burning. A cold
morning was selected and the sand ap
piled until every crevlce appeared to
be filed to the top of the corn stalks,
which was several inches above the
potatoes, thus excluding all air.
No potatoes, l presume, ever kept
better, and the following spring people
came from long distances for paintings
The same sand will answer for many
years.
| DRY ROAD DUST
mixed with the potatoes answers an
excellent purpose. am credibly in
formed by person who has used the
same road dust, placed with the pota
toes in large box having thick walls,
the box being in an clubhouse, for some
20 consecutive years, with the best Of
results. =
wish to state here lnot having done
so at the proper place) thatIEhe object
OF a double wall, constructed of brick
or stone, with sand between, is tc