The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-10-15
How to Save Sweet Potatoes.
News and Conrier.

IQ6 G1lQ0 is near at manu- Wu0H tuS
sweet potato crop will be harvested
and, as usual, put away to spoil. Per-
haps there is no crop that spoils upon
the farmers hands equal to the potato
crop. It's safe to say that half of all
the potatoes put away for winter and
spring use spoil, either by rotting in
winter or sprouting and drying out too
much in spring.
Such heavy losses in this valuable
crop put me to thinking and to expert
menting. OF course, success did not
come the first year, but it did come,
and now do not lose per cent. of my
potatoes, and I believe can keep them
In an absolutely perfect condition till
August,
It was thus that came to make my
discovery; I noticed that when I put
away my potatoes that those nearest
the bottom of the pit, lying on the
damp earth, in contact~with no straw
or other foreign matter, kept better
than those that we're protected (?) by
straw or other covering, and I reached
a conclusion that should put my thb-
ers deep enough into the earth, keep
out all rain and. cold. that the problem
was solved. This / hare proved be-
yond any doubt.
AS soon as the first frost in October
nips or bites my potato vines I put
In ploughs and hand rakes and harvest
my crop. I dig pits three feet wide,
six feet. long and FIVE feet deep, ELL
in with potatoes to within two feet of
the top. Any kind of clean, dry
stuff, such as hay, fodder, rice, oat
OF wheat straw may be used to FILL in
the remaining space up to the surface,
then a roof of boards is made to she'd
off the rain, and upon this roof is
thrown two or three inches Of earth
to keep out the cold.
Potatoes thus put away will not rot,
or lose one pound per bashel in
weight, OF sprout till midsummer.
And they sweeten and get softer as
they age and mellow in their sepUl-
chral-like receptacle.
Just here am led to think that thAs
method would be an ideal one for keep
ing apples, late peaches, pears, grapes
in fact, all kinds of fruits and yegeta-
bles, perfectly fresh from one season to
another.
In putting away potatoes in pits
there are simple rules that must be
followed:
Dig or harvest potatoes before hard
frost. Frost bitten potatoes will not
keep and, ever could they be kept,
they are not edible.
Do not dig your pit deep enough for
/ the water to sip (seep) intosstlle pit.
On high elevation you may dig the
pit as deep as you wish, but On very
low lands do not go SO deep.
substance On the bottom of your pit.
J, Put the potatoes on the cool, damp
earth.
Use no sidingss of anything against
the walls OF your pit. Let the tub
ers be in contact with the cool, damp
earth.
Do not make your pits TOO large.
Three feet wide. six feet long and five
feet deep will give good results on
high land. On low lands three feet
will be deep enough; fill half full OF
potatoes when the pit is three feet
deep.
! II the top filing of straw is moi
sound and dry, free from all moald ol
rot, use no straw at all.
Be sure that the roof Of the pit doe:
not leak. Use boards free from hole:
or sun cracks. 4 leaky roof mean:
rotten potatoes.
Keep all cold wind ont of the pi
by putting earth upon the roof ant
around the gables. Allow no wate
to get into the pit.
| By following these simple rules yol
can have delicious potatoes on you
table the year round. The longe
the potatoes stay in the pit the bette
they get.
i. W. Brabham.