“The RoseBouquet”

Dad’s brought in our purple potato crop. It took him two days last week, and yesterday. (Dad doesn’t work on Sundays, and Labour Day was too rainy and wet).

He is feeling quite pleased with this year’s potatoes. Last year he only got one 5-gallon pail full, not enough to last us through the winter. But this time he has 13 pails full, not counting the very small ones, the green sided ones, and the ones he poked accidentally with the fork when he dug. Those I must use up first before we start on the good ones.

Maybe you’ve never seen purple potatoes before, eh?

We’ve grown them for a number of years. Ever since Dad had a room mate in the hospital in the city when he had kidney stones. This room mate told him about these purple skinned potatoes that are pure white inside, grow quite large, and last better in storage through the winter than the red or white potatoes do.

Dad managed to get a pail full from a farmer near Waldheim before the next spring, and they have multiplied to the point where we try not to plant any others - if we don’t have to.

Now question is, how well will they keep in that potato pit in our cold storage room in the basement? It got 3 inches of water this summer, and the wood lining got moldy. Dad figures he’s fixed that, but I fear some mold spores may have stayed behind. Dad can’t smell the mold, so I’ll have to make it my business to check on those purple potatoes from time to time.