Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-16

| methods of construction, they may
be enumerated certain principles of
potato storage:
l. Provision should be made for
maintaining the temperature con-
! slant; a range of ten degfirees being
permissible. This will necessitate:
(a) A heating system. which will be
utilized in seasoning the potatoes,
when a temperature of 80 to IS de-
grees is maintained for ten days or
two weeks, and in regulating the tenn
| perature during cold weather, when
a minimum of SO degrees is MAIN
! tanned.
CD Double walls in the house
which will guard against sudden ex-
tremes of temperature. During short.
! moderately cold periods the double
walls and floor may ooviate the ne
cessity for artificial heat.
| (c) Adequate ventilators, which
should be so arranged as to provide
| for complete circulation of air.
Doors with adequate covers should be
provided in the floor, walls and cell
! ing. During warm weather, the tenn
perature is regulated by keeping the
yentilators open during the night and
closed during the day; during cold
weather by opening the ventilators
during the warm part Of the day
only.
2. Thorough disinfection of the
house at least two weeks prior to
the storage of the potatoes, using
a spray of bichloride Of mercury at
the rate of 1 part to 1000 parts water
Zone ounce to eight gallons). The
house may be dried by artificial heat.
3.-The storing of sound, healthy
potatoes only. DISEASED potatoes
must not be brought into the house.
Broken and bruised potatoes are
menace in any house, since they are
liable to attack by the many rot pro-
ducing spored floating in the air.
Occasionally it is advisable to wash
potatoes before being brought into
the house, the better to detect dis
ease and imperfect stock.
4.-The use of crates for packing
the potatoes and in ecomizing space.
Such an arrangement permits of
better circulation of air. Inspection
is made easier and in case the pres
ence of rot is detected in any crate,
if may be removed without much
trouble. The practice of marketing
potatoes in bushel crates is gaining
favor with commission men and the
consumer.
After all, the chief precaution is
that the potatoes must never be per-
mitted to become moist. Even dur
ing the rainy weather proper ma
nipulation of the ventilators and the
artificial heat will keep the air of
the house dry. A dry temperature
of between SO and 60 degrees seems
most favorable for the successful
storage of potatoes and, consequent
ly, unfavorable to the development
of rot spores.
In the production of heavy yield
of prime potatoes it is necessary not
only to have a clean, fertile, disease
free soil, but the seed potatoes from
which the slip are to be produced
shall be free from disease and of
the form and quality desired in the
new crop. Many farmers now breed
their own corn and a few have ac-
quired lasting success. The same
thing should be done with potatoes.
The planting of diseased Strings"
has a tendency to result in the same
kind of crop.
Clean, disease-free seed potatoes
may be selected from individual hills
before frost destroys the vines. Only
hills should be selected which show
no disease. The seed potatoes are
carefully sorted and then packed in
bushel crates and placed in the .stor-
age house. At bedding time the seed
stock is again sorted, throwing out
anything which shows a suspicion
of disease. Just before bedding the
seed potatoes are treated to destroy
the spored on the surface.
Bichloride of mercury is dissolved