The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-08

Inc editor of the Practical Farmer
says: The harvesting and keeping of
the sweet potato is a matter of con-
siderable importance and one that is
not we'll understood. The sweet potato
is tropical plant, and hence it's hand
iiHs ana keeping is a very different
matter from the keeping of the tubers
or the Irish potato. which is native IN
hlgh mountain regions, where a moder-
ately low winter temperature prevails.
SOUND tubers of the Irish potato are
sdsiy kept II the conditions of total
darkness and a temperature but little
Dove the freezing point are observed
us roots are the true roots of a tender
pant, ana the plant Is easily DESTROYED
py light frost The roots too, are not
only tender to cold but are easiIv
bruised and a fermentation set IN in
the bruised roots that may DESTROY
them quickly. Sweet potatoes that arc
grown as late in the season as their
nature demands are more easily kept
than those forwarded as early as pos
slble. Hence in the South It is found
that the potatoes grown from cuttings
OF the vines planted in July and An
gust VIII always be more easily kent
than those grown from the sprinR
plants. In other words. a sweet potato
not entirely ripe will keep more cas-
lily than one fully matured. The first
thing in the keeping of the sweet no.
tato mat is of importance is the dig
ging and handling of the tubers. The
method OF digging should be such as
VIII cause as little bruising of the
roots as possible. We always endeavor
TO dig in dry and sunny weather. The
vines are cut loose from the hills and
are then pulled off with an ordinary
hay rake. The best implement for lift
ing the roots is the digging fork. 1t is
q little slower than blowing them out,
but the roots are not bruised as thew
are sure to be if powed out Then in
digging, we never throw the roots into
plies, but simply lay them along the
rows. While we always avoid exposing
the Irish potato to the sun at all. we
always let the sweet potato lie in the
sun at least during the day they are
dug. Then we gather them in baskets
or boxes so as to handle as little as
possible in loading and unloading
Where the potatoes are grown on a
large scale a house built for keeping
them is important. Such a house
should have double walls packed with
sawdust and the roof overhead also
packed in the same way. A furnace
and fiue, or stove with a pipe run
ming through the house should be at
hand to raise the temperature. The
shelves not over foot deep. When all
are in start the fire and raise the
temperature to about rs or so degrees
till they are well dried out and some
of them are showing sprouts. Then
cool them oft and keep the house well
aired till the weather gets cold. and
then simply see that the temperature
of the house does not go much below
! 80 degrees and not a bit above that
and there will be little trouble in keep
ing them. Where but a few are grown
| they may be stored in Slated
crates In a cellar or 9TH
er place where they can be
piled so that the air can get through
| them and then some heat applied till
dried off. After this they will keep in
| cellar that Is dry and frost-proof
| From Maryland southwark they can be
Kept in hills outside in the following
way: Have ready a lot of dry straw,
| pine leaves are the best, but any dry
| straw Will answer. Build a rough
| board shed open to the south and clos
| ed on the north side. Place on the
| ground thick layer of the straw, and
pile the roots in sharp heaps of not
more than twenty-five bushels in each.
Cover the heaps thickly with the
| straw, and let them remain in this way
| till the weather gets cold. Then COW
| er with dry earth all but an open
space at top to let the moisture pass
OF. AS winter sets in put another
| thickness of earth entirely over the
heaps. Dry earth under cover will keep
out much more cold than wet earth.
| The first cover of straw is simply in
| tended to protect them while drying
off We have kept them in this way
| in Maryland till June. perfectly sound.
We gave a reader in South Carolina
| the plans for potato house. and
meeting him the next August he told
US that he was then feeding last
years potatoes to hogs, they had kept
so we'll. Thorough drying at once after
storing and then keeping at about so
| degrees in dry air. are the essential
| faaimrna I'm knaninn sweet lnnlalnns ~