Mexico Missouri message., 1917-11-01
BETTER STORAGE
METHODS URGED
Food Administration Seeks to
Reduce Annual Wastage
in Potatoes.
SMALL GROWERS WARNED
Much Of Loss From Sweating, Disease,
Frost and Other Causes Can Be
Prevented, Declares
Expert.

Expert.
Washington.-A large part Of the
potato crop of the United States is
wasted every year through the exist
ence of bad storage conditions. The
government food administration is de-
termined that this loss shall be re-
duced this year, when every bushel of
potatoes will be needed by the people
of this country. In order to secure
the adoption of the best storage meth
DDS by the small growers of the coun-
try, Lou d. Sweet, head of the potato
division of the food administration,
has issued the following statement:
1T is Of great Importance that all
the potatoes raised this year should
be stored under proper conditions.
Even when every precautlon is taken
the wastage Of potatoes during the
winter Is considerable; under bad con-
dltions of storage 1t is very great in
deed.
"In order that the best methods may
be adopted by the small growers, those
who have not had the experience in
the storage OF potatoes, should know
the chief causes of the wastage. These
causes are:.
II. Sweating. heating and conse-
quent rot: often due to insufficient
ventilation.
"2. Rotting, due to potatoes getting
wet at the time of putting them in
storage.
"3. Injury from frost.
II. Decay, owing to disease in the
tubers at the time of storage.
"5. Sprouting Of tubers in the
spring.
Losses May Be Reduced.
ut is not possible to prevent alto
gether losses from these causes, but
by using the best methods of storage,
1t is possible to reduce them very ma
terially.
"This may be done by taking care to
guard against losses from each of
these causes:
Sweating and heating occur If the
freshly dug potatoes are piled In too
large piles, so that the air cannot cir
Of loss from this cause is greatest in
the fall, Immediately after the tubers
have been dug, and 1t Is, therefore, i'm.
pOrtant that potatoes when dug should
not be put in unnecessarily large piles,
nor kept in an ill-ventilated room.
"If the potatoes at the digging time
are allowed to get wet and go into
storage in that condition, rotting is
sure to occur. Be careful to have
your potatoes dry before storing.
Potatoes are easily damaged by
frost. If they become frozen, there
market value is destroyed. Therefore,
take precaution to protect the tubers
from frost before and after digging.
Eliminate Diseased Tubers.
"There are several diseases of the
potato which destroy the tuber, and if
diseased tubers are mixed with the
sound ones, the disease spreads rap
idly; therefore, 1t is necessary to sort
the potatoes carefully, eliminating all
Of the disease, the cuts, culls, and dirt
before placing them into permanent
storage for the winter. All of the
cuts, culls, misshapen and diseased tu-
bers should be fed to the poultry and
live stock, but should be steamed or
boiled before being fed, as in this way
you increase the food value, and also
destroy the germs of the disease, so
that it will not get into the manure
and thence into the land.
"By proper ventilation of the cellar
or storage room, and by holding the
temperature as near 35 degrees f. as
possible, you can keep the potatoes
from sprouting.
"Seed for next years planting
should be selected from hills that pro-
duce all nice, true to type potatoes
These should be selected at the dig
ging time, and stored separately in
crates or boxes, and by storing them
in well-lighted room where the tenn
perature can be held at from "a to 40
degrees, with little ventilation and
this seed planted next spring, the
grower will make a start toward i'm
proving the quality of his potatoes, in
stead of as in the past, simply plant
ing the culls or runouts."