Year: 1879



 potatoes among the roots) is near, it will be useful to consider the means of pre- serving them in the best manner while there IS time for preparation. Potatoes should not be left in the ground long after they are ripe, lest second growth should occur, by which they would be ln Jured. After having been dug, they require to be dried by few hours ex- posture on the field, but not more than that, after which they should be covered from the light in as cool place as pos sible. No other place is better for keeping potatoes than root-cave pit in the field comes next in usefulness to the cave. A cave may be easily made in hillside which is dry and slopes to the South. An excavation may be made large enough to contain the crop, but rather than make very large ones, it will be cheaper to make several of moderate size. The maximum size would be 16 feet wide and 25 or 30 feet long. This would give about 400 square feet of floor, holding 400 bushels for each U feet in depth, or 800 bushels in all. The room required for a crop may, therefore, be calculated on this basis. The cave is dug out two or three feet below the low est level of the ground, in place where the slope is greatest, or even where the ground is level, having the floor level with the doorway. This has the advan- tage of perfect and secure drainage, and freedom from flooding by backing up of water from snow, or any other accidental obstruction. A number of split logs, blanks, or slabs, are set in the excava- tion, in the form of a letter A. They may be pinned or spiked to ridge-piece at the top, but this is scarcely needed if the top joints are we'll made. The tim bers are covered with bark or marsh hay, and the earth which has been dug outis then thrown back upon the building, covering it with mound, which should be sloped considerably and sodded. A double door is fitted in the front, and ventilator which can be closed should be made in the apex of the roof. This

 

 and which is heat-proof in the summer. It will thus, if thoroughly cleaned and sweetened, make an excellent milk house in the hot weather. Such root-caves may be made in different parts of the farm, wherever they may be needed, and as no floor but the bare earth Is used, they are not likely to harbor vermin.

 The field pit IS a still cheaper, but wholly temporary, protection for roots. It is made in the field where the roots are gathered. The basis is long trench hollowed out with the blow or scraper upon @ high and dry location. The roots, dry and clean, are heaped in the trench about six feet wide and four and a-half feet high. Tn ey are covered with straw, leaves or coarse hay; pine ol hemlock brush will answer in place of these, where it can be more readily pro- cured. The covering is made ut least six inches thick, to within foot of the top, which is left open until the hear has undergone the usual fermentation and heating, during which considerable moisture escapes. If closed before this the whole mass would heat, rot, anG purify. After sufficient time, the tok is covered, leaving space of one fool uncovered at each six feet in length o the pit and on each extreme ridge, fol the purpose of necessary ventilation The final covering may not be needed until December, or, at least, not unti severe frosts take place. More substan tial root-houses are made of masonry with coarse, rough stone, arched an6 covered with earth, but as these struc lures are not always required in the same place, unless permanent central location is chosen, the more rudely con structed ones, or the pits, are to be pre- ferred. The chief points to be observed are dryness of the site, perfect drainage, and absence of danger from flooding, walls and roof impenetrable by the se- verest and long continued frosts, and good ventilation. The last is necessary to carry off the moisture which is al. ways rising from the heat engendered by the collection of large quantities of vegetables in masses. The addition of dry lime scattered over the heap ab- sorbs 8 considerable quantity of this, and it's autiseptio qualities add to it's useful effect. In storing potatoes, a good dusting of limo over each layer of 6 foot in depth is always advisable.

 The roots should be ripe, sound, and dry when stored, otherwise decompo- sition begins in places, and quickly spreads through the mass. It is safe to put few flour barrels, having holes knocked ln the side, or some pieces of rails tied in bundles, here and there through the mass of roots. This pro- vides easy escape for the moisture and heat from the roots, and keeps them dry and sound. In pitting, tho bundles of rails will be found of the greatest use, and they should each connect with the ventilator, or project from the top and form the ventilator. The projecting ends may be capped with bundle of straw to exclude rain or snow.

 In opening pit for use the end is taken down and a sufficient quantity, 100 bushels perhaps, is taken out at one time. This work should be done on dry, windy day, and when the tempera- ture is not low enough to injure the roots. The open end may be closed with straw, we'll packed, and few boards may be propped up against the

 

 some bags or newspapers between them to exclude the wind. This is more readily done than returning the frozen,