The Preservation of Food in the Home. — Part III 



13^3 



are closed by day and opened by night. When the weather becomes 

 more severe, the plan is reversed, the warmer air of midday being admitted. 



storage in the special pit 



Special cellars and pits for storage of vegetables may be constructed 

 at small cost and are very satisfactory. A simple type is shown in 

 Fig. 92. A pit one or two feet deep is dug in a well-drained spot 

 and a foundation wall of stakes and boards, or, better, of concrete, is 

 built around it. On this wall rafters are erected for the support of roof 



k'ent/hlbi 





Fig. 92.- 



■The storage pit 



boards, care being taken not to have too steep a roof. The roof is covered 

 with soil and sod, or with straw and a light covering of earth, or with 

 manure. Such a pit will last several years, especially if a rot-resistant 

 wood, as the so-called " pecky " cypress, be used in its construction. With 

 the specific directions that are furnished by cement manufacturers, con- 

 crete work is within range of any handy man and a permanent concrete 

 cave or pit may be built with little expense and trouble. No matter 

 what the form of construction, be sure to provide one or two small ventila- 

 tors at the top of the cave, and one at the bottom of the door. These 

 should be arranged to open and close at will. 



storage by burying 



Burying is one of the easiest, as well as one of the most successful, 

 methods of storing vegetables. It keeps the produce in good condition 

 and involves no expense. The method is open to the objection that it 

 is often difficult or impossible to remove the contents at certain times 

 during the winter. However, a considerable quantity may be taken 

 out at once and kept in the house cellar for a week or two. Choose a 

 bit of ground, preferably sandy, that is well drained and well protected 

 from stirface wash. Make an oblong pit of the required size, about a 



