The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-08-14

Proper Potato Storage Protects the
prepared by the United States Depa5
ment of Agriculture.l
Storing potatoes resembles banking
money. because ordinarily 1t results in
the potatoes selling for higher prices
later in the season when the supply
Is not so abundant as at digging time.
The potatoes earn dividends while In
storage just as money In the bank ac-
cumulates interest. If all the pOta-
toes were sold Immediately after dig
ging the prices would decline. due to
the excessive offerings on the market.
1t permits of holding the more or less
perishable potatoes in a salable con-
dition over as long a period as Is eco
nomically desirable. Storage also in
sures more uniform market supply
throughout the season.
1t is the late or main crop varieties
of spuds, intended for winter use.
which are stored. as the early or truck
crop potatoes are ordinarily disposed
Of directly from the field as harvested.
Potato storages are practically OF all
types and descriptions, from primitive
shelters. such as caves or pits. up to
rather elaborate. artifcially refriger-
ated storage houses. However, the
fundamental purpose Of the storage
house, be it simple or elaborate. Is
to protect the spuds from extremes Of
cold and heat as well as from the
light, and under proper conditions Of
humidity and ventilation. Care must
be exercised not to keep the potatoes
together in large bulk where the devel-
opment of high temperature and de-
terioration will be favored.
Specialists OF the United States de-
partment of agriculture believe that,
temperature Of about 80 degrees Faht
renheit is generally low enough for
practical potato storage. and that dur
ing the earlier portion Of the storage
season the temperature Of 40 degrees
Fahrenheit - just as satisfactory ex-
cept where powdery dry rot infection
occurs. The freezing point Of the pO-
tato ia between % and 20 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Potatoes. when exposed to strong or
even moderate light are soon injured
for food purposes. and on this ac-
count 1t Is essential to exclude the
light from the storage house, although
exposure to modified light. where the
spuds are kept cool and well aired, Is
not Injurious to tubers intended for
seed potatoes.
Protect Potatoes Against Whiting.
There should be sufficlent moisture
in the potato storage house to pre-
vent the whiting of the tubers and at
the same time to maintain humidity
content low enough to prevent depos-
1t Of moisture on the surface Of the po-
tatoes. One Investigator suggests a
humidity of from IS to 80 per cent as
about correct for potato storage room
temperature of 80 to IS degrees Fab
renheit. Generous provision for ade-
quate ventilation must be made. the
yentilators or air fiues being arranged
so as to insure a rapid and even dis
tribution Of air throughout the struc-
ture.
1t is a bad practice to store pota
toes in large bins or piles. Not lnfre-
auently the tubers are heaped to
depth of 10 or 10 feet, the pile being
correspondingly large in the other d.
mensions. Such storage almost In
variably results in violent sweating or
curing, in which the spuds in the CEN
trail portion of the pile are frequently
subjected to a dangerously high tenn
perature This is especially true If
the tubers are slightly immature or
were not dry and free from moist soil
when gathered. or II stored when the
outside temperature was high. making
It difficult to lower the inside temper
AZURE of the house. Such overheating
may be avoided by inserting division
walls at intervals throughout the pile.
The division walls may consist lof
2 by inch uprights. on the Pinch
face of which are nailed u by inch
strips of any desired length, leaving
1-inch space between each strip.
This provides ventilated partition,
which can be Of any height and length
desired. BY placing these in an up
right position to feet apart as the
bin or storage house is being filled,
good ventilation will be secured and
an easy avenue of escape for both heat
and moisture provided.
Storage Adapted to Local Needs
In considering the type OF storage
best suited to the needs the grower
should bear in mind the temperature
and rain or snow likely to occur dur
ing the storage period. the character
and cost of the material involved
the nature of the soil and drain
age, and the length Of the storage
period. Potatoes may be success
fully stored in pits IL provided with
good drainage and given suficient Gov
srinx to insulate them against extreme