Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-02
The Storage Of Potatoes.

The United States Food Admtnistra
tion sends the following suggestion
prepared BY the experts Of the Potat'
Division for the proper care OF potatoes
It is Of great importance that oil th'
potatoes raised this year should be storet
under proper conditions. Even wheI
every precaution ID taken the wastage O.
potatoes during the winter Is consider
able; under bad conditions OF storage j
10 very great indeed.
In order that the best methods may b.
adopted by the small growers those WHIT
have not had the experience in th'
storage Of potatoes, should know ths
chief causes Of the wastage. These
causes are:
CAUSES OF POTATO WASTE.
iSweating, heating and consequent rot;
often due to insufficient ventilation.
Rotting: due to potatoes getting wet
at the time of putting them In storage
Injury from frost.
Decay: owing to disease in the tubers
at the time of storage.
Sprouting of tubers In the spring.
It is not possible to prevent altogether
losses from these causes, but by using the
best methods of storage, 1t is possible to
reduce them very materially.
This may be done by taking care to
guard against losses from each of these
causes.
PREVENTION OF Rot, FROST, AND
sPRoUTING.
Sweating and heating occur II the
freshly dug potatoes are piled In too
large piles, so that the air cannot cir.
culate between the tubers. The risk OF
loss from this cause is greatest In the
fall, Immediately after the tubers have
been dug, and 1t is therefore, important
that potatoes when dug should not be in
unnecessarily large piles, nor kept In an
room.
Rotting from getting the potatoes
wet. II the potatoes at the digging
time are allowed to get wet and put into
the storage In that condition, rotting is
apt to occur. Be careful to have your
potatoes dry before storing.
Injury from frost. Potatoes are easily
damaged by frost. If they become
frozen, their market value is destroyed.
Therefore, take every precaution to pro-
tect the tuben from getting frozen be-
fore and after digging.
Disease. There are several diseases OF
the potato which destroy the tuber, and
IL diseased tubers are mixed with the
sound ones, the disease spreads rapidly;
therefore, It ID necessary to sort the
potatoes carefully, eliminating all OF the
the cuts, culls and dirt before
placing them into permanent storage tor
the winter. All of the cuts, culls, mis-
shapen and diseased tubers should be
fed to the poultry and live stock, but
should be steamed or boiled before be-
ing fed, az in this way you Increase the
food value, and also destroy the germs
of the disease, 80 that 1t will not get In
to the manure and thence into the land.
By proper ventilation of the cellar or
storage room, and by holding the tenn.
persture as near S5 degrees, +. as pos
sible you can keep the potatoes from
spronting.
SELECTION OF SEED.
Seed for next years planting should
be selected from hills that produce oil
nice, true to type potatoes. These
should be selected at the digging time,
and stored separately in crates or boxes,
and by storing them In q well-lighted
room where the temperature can be held
at from "a to 40 degrees, with little
and this seed planted next
spring, the growers will make start to-
ward improving the quality Of their
potatoes, In place of as in the past, simply