The Prescott daily news., 1919-11-06
EXTENSION NOTES
The Sweet Potato Situation.

greatest and best food crops. both for man and farm animals. If we were deprived of it, we would certainly an- preciate it much more than we now do The farmers have had to contend With a serious and difficult situation thls Tall, and if we had some way of checking up the losses that have been sustained in hay, peas, corn and cot ton, and some other minor things. the aggregate money value would present staggering total.
 A great many farmers have grown more sweet potatoes than usual this season, and the losses from this one crop alone will run up into hundreds of thousands of dollars, taking the country as whole. However, the sweet potato crop is not entirely lost, and, in many instances, there is prac- tically no damage at all. The oues- ton now is to save the potatoes. At the present time they are not worth vrey much on the markets-that is green potatoes are not-but, there is going to be serious shortage, and by next spring, prices are going to be high.
 The weather seems now to be clear ing up, and we would like to offer a few suggestions relative to conserving the sweet potato crop, or what is left of it. In the first place, the vines should be cut away from the potatoes and either drawn to the middle of the rows or removed entirely from the field, so as to permit the soil to air out as much as possible before the potatoes are harvested. in the event of a killing frost this would be neces- sary at once to save the crop from loss. When the soil has sufficiently dried out, the potatoes should be har- vested, and if the weather is bright and windy, and there is no immediate danger of a freeze, the potatoes should be left out for couple of days, so as to allow the excess moisture to get away. Of course, where the farmer has curing house, the potatoes should be stored in these houses as fast as harvested, and the fires started so as to begin drying the potatoes at once, and the fact should be borne in mind by every one that the potatoes are full of water and will require more heat and a longer time to dry than usual.
 If no curing house is available the farmer will have to resort to other means of keeping the potatoes. This will not be difficult matter if we have open weather and the potatoes are properly haidled, but if rains con- tinue it will be very difficult, if not impossible, undertaking to save the crop in the absence of curing house. Providing We have clear weather the potatoes should be given all the sum- shine and wind that is possible after harvesting, and then they should be banked under an open shed. These banks should not be very large-not more than 75 bushels to the bank and they should not be covered with anything more than about six inches of dry straw for the first week or ten days, but they should be placed under the shed at once. The straw covering will take up the moisture from the potatoes, and being exposed to the air, the moisture is readily evaporated. With the coming of freezing weather the banks should be protected with about six inches of dry soil, with very small opening at the top for the escape of moisture that naturally ac- cumulates in the heap of potatoes. This method is the best for keeping seed potatoes and a surplus for mar ket next spring, as these banks should not be broken up or disturbed in any way until ready to move the entire lot of potatoes. Potatoes required Tor eating from day to day can be kept i'll cellar, provided it is dry and dark' and can be made proof against frost.
 After all is said and done, the old time methods of keeping sweet pota- toes are uncertain and cannot be de- nended on. A properly constructed cpr;np and storage house, however l-l. .la IaE