Potato Clamp

Large quantities of main-crop potatoes may be stored in a clamp made under an open shed or in the open ground. if made outdoors, tip them as they are lifted and dried on to a raised bed so that surplus moisture will not percolate beneath them. The potatoes are placed in ridge fashion, and to keep the base rigid, fix two 6 inch boards into the ground on either side held securely by stout pegs, extending the whole length of the clamp. Make the clamp about 4 feet wide at the base and pile the potatoes as high as possible, removing all diseased tubers, and then cover them with straw or dry bracken to a depth of 6 inches. Over the straw add a 6 inch covering of soil removed from around the base of the clamp. Start at the base and work upwards, making the outside surface firm and smooth with the back of the spade so that surplus water will drain off Be sure to give the clamp some ventilation. This may be done by inserting a drain pipe at the top or by pulling up some of the straw covering and placing the soil round it. Turnips and swedes may be clamped in the same way.

New potatoes may be preserved in tin boxes containing dry peat with which the potatoes are covered. The box is buried 2 feet below soil level, the place being marked by a stone or stick. Stored in this way they will keep fresh for 6 months or more.

Onions and shallots are harvested early in autumn when the foliage has turned yellow and begun to die back. After lifting, preferably on a dry day, spread out the bulbs on mats to dry for 2-3 days. Then, after removing the tops, place in string bags and suspend from the ceiling of an airy shed or room; or hang up by stringing the necks together. Onions and shallots must have a free circulation of air around them. It is also necessary to lift with care for if the outer skin is damaged, they will not keep well. Potato and tree onions may be stored in the same way. Onions are not suitable for freezing owing to their high water content; nor is it necessary to freeze them as they will last in good condition for many months without freezing.