Mrs. Fothergill’s Tips for Storing New Potatoes, circa 1874
A clamp is a must (or so Mrs. Fothergill says).
Choose level ground with nominal exposure.
Dig a small pit (if you have no gardener, you may need to do this yourself)
four feet in diameter.
Lay down straw, and then—this next bit is essential—
fluff it sedulously (or so Mrs. Fothergill insists).
Place the new potatoes on top of the straw.
Harvest them 2-3 weeks after their flowers fade
for best results.
More straw, more soil.
Mark it well, but not so that any
miscreant neighbor may spot it.
You can then enjoy the
“luxury”
(or so Mrs. Fothergill observes)
of new potatoes all winter long.
Unless, of course, there is a freeze.
Rot is then inevitable.
Serve with gammon, goose, or game;
Fit for rustics, and for dames.
The Bottom Shelf Review 