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HOME STORAGE 



Dry beans may be stored in cloth bags 

 in a pantry or in any cool, dry and well 

 ventilated room. The bags should be hung 

 away from the floor to prevent damage by 

 rats and mice. 



Onions require a cool, dry place. They 

 should be cured by being exposed to the 

 air for a few days in the shade. The tops 

 should be removed before storing. Keep 

 them in baskets, trays or other holders 

 which let the air circulate. Onions are not 

 damaged by temperatures slightly below 

 freezing, and for storing them the attic is 

 better than the cellar. If stored in the cellar 

 they should be suspended from the ceiling. 



Squashes are susceptible to cold and 

 moisture, and for that reason should be 

 stored in a dry place where the tempera- 

 ture will be between 50 and 60 degrees F. 

 Squashes may be kept by placing them in a 

 single layer on a dry floor and covering 

 with rugs or carpets, but care must be 

 taken that the stems are not broken off and 

 that they do not become bruised before 

 storing. Whenever it is found that any of 

 the squashes or pumpkins are showing signs 

 of decay, the sound portions should be 

 canned. 



Tomatoes may be saved by pulling up the 

 entire plant before freezing weather. The 

 vines should be suspended by the roots in a 

 cool cellar. The tomatoes will gradually 

 ripen. If these tomatoes, when cooked, are 

 found to be acid, the acidity can be over- 

 come by using baking soda. 



Parsley may be saved by transplanting 

 into flower pots late in the fall. These 

 should be kept in windows where they will 

 receive sunshine. 



Parsnips and salsify are not injured by 

 remaining in the ground all winter. Enough 

 for immediate needs may be dug in the 

 fall and the others harvested as required. 



Fig. 6 Cabbage stored, roots up, in a bank of earth. 

 The place must be well drained. The cabbages are 

 covered with earth, but this need not be as thick as for 

 gome vegetables, as slight freezing does no harm. 



POTATOES 



As one of the staple vegetables, potatoes 

 are entitled to special consideration for 

 winter storage. If you have raised a sur- 

 plus crop in your own garden save as many 

 as possible for your winter's supply. If 

 you have none of your own raising it is well 

 to buy them early in the fall, at the time 



of greatest supply and lowest prices, and 

 store them for the winter, making yourself 

 independent of the market during the time 

 of highest prices. 



Potatoes may be stored in cellars, pits 

 and outdoor cellars, as already described. 

 Before they are stored they should be al- 

 lowed to dry. This is done by digging 



Fig. 7 This shows cabbage, pulled with roots, stored 

 in a shallow trench, with roots down. The roots are 

 covered with earth. The stakes, projecting 2 feet 

 above the surface of the earth, serve as supports for 

 boards or "poles which make an enclosure. This frame 

 should be banked with dirt (b). Across the top place 

 poles or plank and cover with straw, hay or corn 

 fodder (a). Make the trench as long as necessary and 

 any width up to 8 feet. 



them on bright days, if possible, and allow- 

 ing them to lie alongside the rows for a few 

 hours. Before storing sort them carefully 

 as to size and soundness. The smaller pota- 

 toes and those which show signs of threatened 

 decay should not be stored, but should be 

 used early. 



The success of potato storage depends on 

 the exclusion of light, proper ventilation, 

 the proper amount of moisture, the size of 

 the pile or container and the type of the 

 tubers stored. 



In storing potatoes it should be remem- 

 bered that the purpose is to protect them 

 from great changes of temperature and 

 from light. Even a small amount of light 

 changes the food value of potatoes. There 

 should be enough moisture to keep -the pota- 

 toes from wilting, but not enough to cause 

 moisture to gather on the surface. 



If potatoes are stored in a place where 

 there is moisture in the air, provision should 

 be made to permit free circulation of air 

 through the containers. Barrels, boxes and 

 bins may be ventilated by boring holes in 

 sides and bottoms. Barrels, boxes and crates 

 should be set on slats to hold them off the 

 floor and allow the air to circulate underneath. 

 If the storage place is light a blanket, several 

 thicknesses of paper, or old sacks should be 

 placed on top of the containers. 



If the air of the storage place is dry it 

 should not be allowed to circulate freely 

 through the containers, as dry air will 

 cause withering of the potatoes. In such 

 storage places the potatoes should be put 



