MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 83 
box, so as not to wet the foliage. Sphagnum moss or sand 
may be substituted for soil. 
Onions require a dry cool atmosphere. They should be 
yaa et cured, dried, and all the tops cut off before stor- 
ing. Market baskets, trays, or any other receptacle which will 
—_— of proper air circulation may be used as containers. 
f the bulbs begin to grow in the spring a good crop of green 
onions can be secured by setting them outdoors in beds. 
Parsnips, salsify, and horse-radish, not being injured by 
frost, may be placed in a pile on the ground and covered 
with 6 inches of soil. The advantage of storing in this man- 
ner instead of allowing the roots to remain in the soil is 
the saving of the time and inconvenience of digging in 
frozen ground. If desired to store in the cellar the roots 
should be covered with moist sand, leaves, or soil, and kept 
as near the freezing point as possible. 
Potatoes should be stored in a cool frostless cellar in long 
narrow bins divided into sections to hold about 2-3 bushels. 
A covering of sand or soil is beneficial to keep moisture in. 
The tubers should be dug on a bright day when the soil is 
dry so that it will shake off readily. They should not be 
washed nor exposed to light for any length of time after 
harvesting, as that will cause them to turn n. If tubers 
begin sprouting in the spring all the shoots should be rubbed 
off. e bins should be examined occasionally and any 
rotting tubers removed to prevent the spread of infection. 
Potatoes may also be stored outdoors by placing in a conical 
pile and covering with 6-8 inches of straw, inches of 
soil, and a layer of manure. A ventilator made of boards 
4 inches wide should be placed at the apex running down 
to the tubers. When freezing weather sets in it should be 
stuffed with fine hay. 
The root crops—beets, carrots, turnips, ete—should be 
kept cool in a cellar and packed in damp soil or sand. It 
is desirable to leave on part of the tops for convenience in 
use and conservation of flavor. The better means of storage 
is the pit method similar to the one recommended for pota- 
toes, ya getting the vegetables from pits in midwinter the 
manure is removed at the base of the pile and a hole 1 foot 
square is chopped through the frozen soil. _ Sufficient straw 
is pulled out to enable one to thrust an arm into the opening. 
The hole should then be stuffed again. 
Squashes and sweet potatoes are susceptible to cold and 
moisture, and for that reason should be stored in a dry place 
where the temperature will approximate 50° F. Squashes 
may be kept by piling on a dry floor and covering with rugs 
