The Pulaskian., 1917-07-13

gether to form an S-inch box. Thls box should extend from the inside ceiling of the house to about IS inches, or feet above the roof. The tops of the ventilator should be provided with hood to keep out rain and the bot tom with cover so that the ventilator may be closed in cold weather. Every house over 20 feet in length should be provided with at least two ventilators. The openings through the floor should be 10 to 12 inches square and provided with a tight-ftting cover, so that they may be closed when necessary.
 The bins for holding the potatoes should be constructed to allow as much circulation of air as possible. They should be set at least inches away from the wall, and a space of inches should be left between the bins and under the floor of the bins. The sides of the bins are formed by setting 2 by As upright and mailing across these 3 or inch boards laid with an inch space between. The 2 by As between the bins are slated on both sides so as to provide a finch air space between bins. The floors of the bins are formed by laying two by scantlings edge wise running lengthwise of the bins and mailing boards across these in the same manner as for the sides of the bins. The floor of the bin may be made in one or two sections, and if cut inches narrower than the width of the bin and not fastened down Ii can be readily, removed when 1t is de sired to clean out the bins. The size and shape of the bins depend on the size of the house, but to get good air circulation the bins should not be over feet in width.
 The heating apparatus for a storage house usually consists of a cheap sheet-iron stove. Vitrified tile may be run through the roof of the house and the stovepipe run through the tile, thus lessening the danger from fire. Kerosene oil heaters are also being used with satisfactory results. In the more northern sweet-potato regions where heat is required throughout the storage period, hard-coal stoves and hot-water heating systems are in com mon use, and the storage houses are usually provided with basements.
 Management of the House.
 After house is a year old, it should be thoroughly cleaned and dis infected each year before being used. All dirt and decayed potatoes should be taken out, and the interior of the house, together with all harvesting baskets, crates, bin materials, etc, should be sprayed with a solution of copper sulphate, made by dissolving 1 pound in 25 gallons of water, or so- lution made by dissolving 1 pint of formalin in 30 gallons of water. Re peat this spraying after about 24 hours.
 A day or so before the storage house is to be used fire should be started to dry 1t out thoroughly, and If the house is new the fire should be started several days in advance of the storage in order to drive the moisture out of the lumber used in the building. Dur ing the period when the potatoes are being stored and for 10 days or 2 weeks afterwards, temperature around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with plenty of ventilation, should be main tained. Even if it is not possible to | secure 80 degrees Fahrenheit or above. the ventilators should still be left open, so as to allow the moist air to escape. During the curing period the windows and doors may be closed at night and on rainy days, but at other times they should be left open.
 When the potatoes are thoroughly dried or cured the temperature should be gradually reduced to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point 1t should be kept during the entire storage pe- riod. During the winter, if the tenn perature in the house should drop be- low AS degrees Fahrenheit, a fire should be started or the house opened when the air outside is warm and dry If the temperature should go above 60 degrees Fahrenheit the house can be opened when the air outside is cool. ohould drops Of moisture appear on the walls or ceiling the fire should be started and the ventilators opened to allow the moisture to escape. The es- sentials in the proper management of storage house are to keep it dry and to maintain uniform temperature around 5O to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
 Success in storing sweet notatoes does not depend entirely upon success Iui storage methods. There are a number Of sweet-potato diseases, no- taoiy black rot, stem rot, and foot rot wnlcn may cause serious damage in the storage house. The elimination of dis ease snouio be closely coupled with soou storage methods to give best re-