STORING POTATOES.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 229, 22 March 1928, Page 8

STORING POTATOES.

THE PITTING METHOD. Avenues of Loss. The method of storing potatoes generally adojjted by potato growers is what is known as ‘ * pitting,' 7 a term that, strictly speaking, is somewhat misleading, as it does not necessarily imply an actual pit in the ground. The tubers are placed in a heap on the surface of the ground and covered with straw and earth to protect them from the weather. Potatoes may be successfully stored in pits if good drainage is provided and sufficient covering applied to insulate the stored tubers thoroughly from external heat and cold. in pitting potatoes good drainage is the first consideration in selecting the site, which should be convenient for carting. The land must he either well drained naturally or else so situated as to make good drainage possible. Little, if any, excavation is ordinarily made in pitting potatoes, except make a smooth surface on whi'ih to pile the tubers. The shape of the pit should be that of a p;> railelograni, rather than square or t.a-u!ar. Tne customary practice is to p.le the tubers in a ridge or inverted V-shaped fashion, which exposes a greater area of j the pile to the air, and when covered ! sheds rain much better. Its size is, cf course, determined by the quantity of tubers to be stored, and the limit of safety as regards danger from loss if stored in too large a pile. As the size of the pile increases the difficulty of cooling is quickly enhanced, and should decay in the tubers become active greater losses are sustained in large than in smal piles. When pitting potatoes some provis ion should be made for ventilation. A common practice is to take a handful of rye or wheat straw and stand it in & vertical position on the top of the pile while the straw and earth covering is being applied, after which it i* pulled out, thus providing a vent foi the escape of heat and moisture. Probably a better practice is to construct and humidity are approximately right; The presence of cut and bruised tubers offers an easy point of infection for a number of storage decay organisms. The more carefully, therefore, potatoes are harvested and stored the better will be their keeping qualities and the less the shrinkage. Every effort should be made to remove all diseased tubers from those intended for storage. Such tubers have a contaminating influence, and are frequently responsible for the decay of sound tubers pitted with them. When potatoes are stored with large quantities of moist soil adhering to them they are almost certain to develop a considerable amount of heat, ■especially if stored in bulk. It requires very little imagination on the part of any thinking person to figure out that potatoes stored under such conditions are more likely to decay. Let it not be forgotten, therefore, that dirt and moisture are undesirable factors in potato storage, and. therefore, only clean and dry tubers should be pitted. Tube's that are properly stored should come out of the pit in good condition in the spring.