POTATO STORAGE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 83, 20 March 1934, Page 11

POTATO STORAGE

A Seasonal Activity PROTECTION NEEDED With farmers and gardeners engaged in digging their potato crops, now is an appropriate time to indicate the best method of storing the tubers for future use. Crops have been somewhat variable as far as yields are concerned, in Hawke’s Buy this year, and in some localities blight has caused a certain degree of loss. To keep potatoes in good condition it is essential that they be properly stored. The potato, although not always a profitable < rop, has a definite niche in the farming programme. For cleaning up land prior to sowing the area down to permanent pasture this crop finds much favour with farmers, and the gardqner also appreciates tho potato as a cleaning crop which can be sown before laying down a 1 wn. For successful storage of the potato thorough protection from weather conditions, such as frost and dampness, is essential. When stored the potatoes should be heaped up i n "riggs,” not more than 2 feet 6 inches in height. This heap should be covered with straw, and over the itraw it is advisable to place a layer of earth a few inches thick. This will prevent the entrance of light into the heap, although it will not affect aeration. Drainage is important, as damp conditions will soon cause trouble. If a ditch is dug around the base of the stored tubers any moisture that gathers will be drained off. Aeration is also neeesary, because if the "rigg” is airtight the potatoes will not keep but will eventually become mouldy. The placing of pipes (every twelve to eighteen inches in the heap, inserted through the earth and straw, should provide ample fresh air. By constructin the heap lengthways instead of making it square, any desired amount of potatoes can be removed without the rest of the heap being disturbed. Th„ reason wly the height of the "rigg” should not exceed 2 feet 6 inches is that otherwise the lower tubers will be damaged by the pressure from above, and needless to state, under these conditions these tubers will not keep. Prior to building th potato heap any diseased tubers should be removed, as these form a common source of infection, and may s; oil the whole crop by infecting the healthy tubers. For the information of the dairy-far-mer in particular it may be mentioned that potatoes can be made into ensilage with comparatively little trouble. The potatoes are first 'leaned and then crushed. After this they are placed in a pit or, if th- quantity be small, in a barrel. On top of the pit a layer of straw is placed and the contents of the, pit weighted down with stones. With the progress of fermentation additional pressure has to be applied, and more stones are addeu. The resulting product has the consistency of ordinary crushed potatoes and is much relished by cattle, according to dairyfarmers who have fed it to their stock. Pigs, it is said, will also eat potato silage, b-t will not take to it as readily as wil Idairy cattle.