Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1916-10-26
,KoLoNA. MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY. OCTOBER 26. 1915
Cure Sweet Potatoes
For High Price Time

Successful storage of sweet
potatoes requires conditions some
what different from those neces-
sary for the storage OF other
root crops. The potato needs to
be mature and free from dirt,
bruises and breaks in the skin.
Dig the crop when the soil is
dry and allow the potatoes to re-
main on the ground in the sun
for a few hours, but never leave
them out during the night. Pick
up in baskets, and haul to the
place Of storage without remov-
ing from these baskets. Do not
use sacks for containers as they
allow many of the potatoes to be |
broken and bruised. At the
place Of storage sort the potatoes
and grade by removing the very
small ones and all that are bro
ken or cut.
When large quantities are to
be stored a specially constructed
store house is we'll worth the ex-
pense. Almost any outbuildlng,
however, can be used successful
| ly. Nail strips over the cracks
SO as to make the building fairly
tight. Near the center OF the
room put in a small stove that
will hold fire well, to heat the
room.
For a room of ordinary size,
1.-TWO or three doors, 10 by IL
inches, near the top and the
same number at the bottom OF
the room will provide the proper
ventilation. These should be
fixed so that they will open and
close easily and tightly.
/ Some use bushel crates made
Of Stats TO hold the potatoes and
stack them one on top OF the
other. Others prefer to make
small Slated bins. The object
, is to secure a thorough circula.
ton of air through the potatoes,
The bins should be made so thai
they will be three or four inches
from the floor and the same dis
tance from the walls OF thu
building. Two by fours nailet
$ to the floor and walls will glv'
good ventilating space. Th'
Stats are easily nailed to them
(. leaving about an inch space be
tween each. The most success
y full bins are not more than tiv
a feet square and four or five deep
t Before placing the potatoes il
e the house, open all the yentila
s tors, build fire and dry tn
n house out thoroughly. Plac
k the potatoes carefully in the bin
it so as to prevent bruising. Dul
It ing the first ten or fifteen day
IS leave all the ventilators ope
y and keep the temperature bt
IS tween IS and 95 degrees Fahrer
L heit. 1t will be necessary
) have a thermometer in the sto
age house. The constant clrcl
le lation of this warm air will leaN
1T the potatoes perfectly dry. II
IS heat should now be discontinue
at and some of the ventilators clio
to ed. Keep the temperature b
t. tween 55 and 60 degrees If po
as sible. This can be controlled
is a large extent by ventilation
is If the weather is warm keep Il
re ventilators closed during the ds
to and open at night. If Il
ne weather is cold, close them
ut night and open them during Il
en- warm part of the day. If it b
he comes damp in the storehou
lrt dry out for a few hours with
ay little fire, closing the bptto
cd yentilators and leaving the t
I'll ones open.
'xt If the storehouse is being US
the second time it should be d
infected before the potatoes q
. placed in it. Either a good &C
u of ordinary whitewash or a spr
made of one pint of farmalin
on z..1I~,,e of xuotot. will he eff