Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-06
THE STORAGE OF POTATOES
Use of Pits, Ougouts and Masonry stor-
age Houses for Holding the Main
! Crop Of Potatoes.

The storage Of potatoes Of the main crop
can be accomplished most satisfactorily
throughout much Of the United States In
the dugout pit or potato cellar in some OF
its various forms of construction. says
a recently published Farmers Bulletin
of the United States Department of Agri-
culture, Potato Storage and Storage
Houses" In general, the bulletin says.
no attempt Is made to store potatoes OF
the early crop, since usually they are sold
for immediate consumption.
While the dugout storage house isin most
general use, concrete or masonry houses
with frame super structures are. perhaps
most satisfactory in cold climates. In
some sections. especially in the SOUTH
where drainage is poor, insulated frame
structures built entirely above the ground
must be depended upon.
PURPOSE OF STORAGE.
The primary purposes of storage. 1t is
,pointed out are to protect the tubers
from extremes of heat and cold and from
light. Account also must be taken or con-
,ditions of humidity and ventilation ana Oh
the size of the storage pile
The temperature should be the highest at
which potatoes can be maintained. firm
and ungerminated and which Will at the
same time hold fungous diseases in check.
ally refrigerated storage indicate that 80
degrees F. is sufficiently low for all prac-
teal purposes and that in the earlier
norton Of the storage season tempera-
ture of 40 degrees f. is just as satisfactory
as lower one except where powdery dry
rot infection occurs.
All natural light should be excluded from
potato storage because when the tubers
are exposed to even modified light. they
"A
practical rule in regard to humidity, the
. bulletin already mentioned says. is to
. maintain sufficient moisture in the air TO
prevent the willing of the tubers and at the
same time to keep the humidity content
low enough to prevent the deposit Oh
moisture on the surface of the tubers.
If potatoes are piled in too large piles
they may become over-heated and de-
, terorate Six feet is a good maximum
depth to which to pile tubers in bins, ana
. the area covered by each pile should be
J.. limited good plan is to insert ventiiat-
, ed division walls at intervals through the
; pile or bin These may be made by nail
ing relatively narrow boards on both sides
Of 2x4 uprights, / inch spaces being left
. between the boards General ventilation
for the whole storage house usually is
accomplished through ventilating shafts
In the roof.
o METHODS OF STORAGE.
The possible ways to store potatoes, says
the bulletin, are pits or earth covered piles
in dugout pits or potato storage cellars
in insulated wooden structures, in sub
stantial masonary or concrete houses. anC
in artificially refrigerated storage houses
4. The latter two methods are the most ex
pensive. Pittng is the most primitive
method Of storage. but IL properly done or
vva11-drainpd locations "a SafiSfactOrv In
80 far as the preservation of the potatoe.
is concerned. The chief drawback to pit
ting Is that the potatoes are not always
easily accessible in the winter.
POTAO STORAGE CELLARS.
: The dugout pit or potato storage celia
Is probably more widely used than an!
. other type Of storage space. Fitted will
water-tight roof 1t is especially popula
in the central portions of the Unitet
States. In the arid and semi-arid sec
tons a type with sod or dirt roof is ii
. most general use. AS a rule, the ex
cavacation for the cheaper structures o
the dugout pit or cellar type when erect
ed on level or nearly level land does nc
exceed 8 feet. The soil removed fror
such an excavication. particularly II til
dugout is Of any considerable size. is amp
for banking the side and end walls an
also for the roof. The cost of constructio
character of the location.
In the cheaper dugouts. where the SO
Is Of such n nature as to remain intact
is allowed to form the side and end walls
the roof being supported on plates resi-
ing on the soil and held together by board
or joists. This form of construction IL
wolves a deeper excavation and a con
slant element Of risk from a cavern.
the more expensive and substantial struC
iii lI.,n l,,.I
concrete.
INSULATED FRAME STRUCTURES
- Insulated frame potato storage house
are not used very extensively. AS a rul
they are better adapted to southern tina
to northern climate conditions. The cor
struction feature of such houses is tn
thorough insulation of their walls. Gel
ing. doors and windows. This type c
storage house is not to be recommends
for northern locations nor is it advocate
for the south except where poor drair
are conditions will not permit the use
the dugout or cellar style of house. 1t is M
recommended, because it can not be S
economically constructed. nor does it fu
nish as good type of storage til
properly ventilated cellar storage house.
THE AROOsTOOK TYPE OF sTORAG
HOUSE.
AHc HIOoSlooh type Oh storage nous
with concrete or masonry basement wal
j, and wooden superstructure, seems to
: distinctively n product of Maine, and
= far as has been observed is not found
. any extent outside of the State. 1t is q
extensively constructed house and is a
most always located on a side-hll or kno
3. in order that advantage may be taken of
ground level entrance. That such hous,
have proved satisfactory to the pota
grower in Maine is evident from the fa
that practically no other style of potat
storage house Ia in use In that State.
y THE ARTIFICIALLY REFRIGERATE
- STORAGE HOUSE.
The artifcally refrigerated potato sto
:. Age house is as yet hardly in existanc
The present use of this type of stora
house is confined practically to the hol
ing of northern-grown seed potatoes
cold storage for second-crop planting
the south.