STORE YOUR SURPLUS FOR WINTER 



Fig. 1 This suggests an arrangement for storage in a cool cellar. An earth floor is best, as it gives off some mois- 

 ture. If the floor is of concrete it should be covered with 2 or 3 inches of sand and this should be sprinkled with 

 water occasionally. In the drawing a pane in the upper part of one window is shown to be missing. This 

 is to allow the escape of heated air. In severely cold weather close these openings. The stove pipe fitted into 

 the place for one of the lower panes admits cold air. Instead of a stove pipe a wooden flue, made of old boards 

 or parts of boxes, may be used. Bins and boxes should be placed on slats to lift them from the floor and allow 

 circulation. For this same purpose bins and boxes should be at least one or two inches from the wall. Air holes 

 bored in sides and bottom of bins and boxes help circulation. Protect glass jars from light. 



pipe inserted through one of the lower 

 panes of the window, to admit cold air and 

 indicates the removal of one of the upper 

 panes of glass to allow the escape of warm 

 air. This affords constant circulation. 



An earth floor is desirable, but this is not 

 always possible, as most city and many town 

 and country houses have floors of concrete. 

 In a cellar with a concrete floor the concrete 

 should be covered with two or three inches 

 of sand, which should be sprinkled with water 

 from time to time. 



In this room may be stored Beets, Car- 

 rots, Cabbage, Celery, Parsnips, Salsify, 

 Turnips and Potatoes. (Special attention is 

 given Potatoes on page 28.) Put them in 

 bins or in boxes, baskets, slat crates or bar- 

 rels. It is best to use movable containers 

 and small ones. Bins should not hold more 

 than two or three bushels apiece, as the 

 larger bulk brings danger of heating and 

 consequent decay. There should be full 

 protection from mice. 



The vegetables should be harvested when 

 the ground is dry, if possible, and should 

 lie outdoors a few hours until any surface 

 moisture on them has evaporated. Remove 

 the tops, leaving an inch or so, from beets, 

 turnips, carrots and salsify. To leave an 

 inch or so of top prevents bleeding and dry- 

 ing out. Sort vegetables according to size 

 and condition. Imperfect or bruised ones 

 should be selected for immediate use and 

 only sound vegetables should be stored. 



In cellar storage beets, turnips and carrots 

 may be buried in slightly damp sand to good 

 purpose. 



Cabbages may be stored in the cellar in 

 boxes or barrels of earth or sand, or they may 

 be placed in a cool cellar on the floor with 

 roots up. 



Celery, to be stored in a cellar, should be 

 allowed to stay in the garden until there is 

 danger of severe freezing. In order to pro- 

 long the period of keeping it outdoors the 

 plants should be protected from frost by 

 banking them with earth to within two or 

 three inches of the tops. On cold nights 

 protect the tops with paper, burlap, mats, 

 straw or other covering. The importance of 

 not harvesting at the first appearance of frost 

 arises from the fact that this period is likely 

 to be followed by warm weather, which will 

 cause decay by creating too high a tempera- 

 ture in the place of storage. With the arrival 

 of steady cool weather, which will freeze the 

 plants, dig them, leaving some soil adhering 

 to the roots. For cellar storage place the 

 plants upright, covering the roots with three 

 or four inches of sand or light soil. (Fig. 2.) 

 Earth may be banked around the stalks but 

 this is not necessary. Water the soil oc- 

 casionally, being sure to keep the leaves and 

 stalks dry to prevent decay. 



Celery may also be stored in cellar boxes, 

 following these same directions. 



The cellar storage room may also be used 

 for the storage of fresh fruits and for canned 

 goods, preserves and dried vegetables and 

 fruits. Fig. 1 shows a suggested arrange- 

 ment for shelves for canned and dried articles. 

 If the shelves are not protected from light 

 by doors all canned goods in glass should be 

 wrapped in brown paper, to prevent bleaching 



