The Newark journal., 1917-07-19
SWEET POTATO A
VALUABLE FOOD
Right Kind OF a Storage House Essen
tial and Should Sc Built Early to
Have Ready When Needed.
BY j. S. Knox, Horticulturist with the
Extension Division, University
of Arkansas.
Build Storage Houses EARLY.

Build Storage Houses Early.
Possibly there is no other vsgeta
Bile SO generally grown in Arkansas as
is the sweet potato, and rightly SO, be-
cause it is one of the most valuable
vegetables which we can grow for
food Il is fact that diseases cause
some loss every year, but niae-tenths
of the potatoes which go to waste
do so because of improper stor-
age conditions The right kind of
a storage house is essential and should
be built early in order to have it ready
by the time the potatoes are dug.
Successful Storage Depends Upon
Several Factors.
Successful storage may be said to
depend upon several factors-(1} ma
turity of potatoes at digging, (2)
proper drying out of the potatoes
shortly after they are dug, and (3)
freedom from disease and serious
bruises when placed in storage. If po-
tat0es are dug when they are imma-
ture it requires a longer time to dry
them than when they are fully mature.
At the time of harvest all potatoes
showing evidence of disease should be
piled to themselves and fed to hogs or
other farm animals. One diseased po-
tato placed in a storage bin may be
the cause of half dozen others rot
ting IN digging, use every possible
care to prevent the bruising or skin
ming of the potatoes, since every
wound thus made opens way for dis
ease to enter the potato.
The Pit or Bank Method of Storing
the Crop.
For the small home grower this
method is very satisfactory. To build
the bank or pit, select some well
drained location, and, several weeks
before the potatoes are to be
t dug, build a shed The soil under
the shed should be number of inch
es, say, a foot, higher than the soil
on the outside This lessons the
chances of moisture rising up to the
potatoes. Make the soil where the
/ potatoes are to be piled into plate or
saucer shape. then pile over this
layer of dry straw or leaves four to
six inches deep. Now construct two
boxes of Ike material and bore two
inch holes in them on all aides at In
tersals of Is inches to two feet. These
should be placed, one horizontally
across the bed and the other joined to
it, but placed in a vertical position.
There must, of course, be a passage
way for air from one box to the other.
pile Potatoes Carefully.
As soon as the potatoes are dug and
have dried a while they should be
| carried to the storage pit and carefully
piled in cone shape about the box
! ing 1t is thought best not to put
over 40 to so bushels in the same pit.
/ When the potatoes are placed in the
| bank, simply cover over with light
| covering of straw or leaves and allow
/ them to remain In this way for ten
oughly dry out It is during this dry
/ ing or sweating process that so many
of our potatoes rot. AS the weather
turns colder layer of boards or corn
/ stalks should be placed over the straw
snd a thin covering of dirt placed over
/ cais. BY the time the weather be-
! comes freezing cold the ends of the
ventilator boxes should be closed and
the dirt piled on until it is four to six
inches deep.