218 GARDEN GUIDE 



The Home Food Winter Storage Cellar 



See diagram on opposite page 



Our diagram of a Winter food storage cellar shows a comer in 

 the cellar, which should preferably be a northwest corner. The 

 partitions shown must be finished off so that no heat can penetrate 

 the storage cellar from the furnace; to that end, a brick partition 

 is undoubtedly the best, but if this cannot be had, the next best would 

 be a double partition of seven-eighth inch boards, with building paper 

 and an air space between, and with a door built in the same way, 

 having a bevelled edge. If strict economy rules at least use a single 

 thickness of boards, as shown in plan, with heavy building paper on 

 one side. This paper should be well held in position by means of large- 

 headed tacks, hberally used. 



Cellar walls of brick, stone or cement, protected on the out- 

 side by a coat of tar or other material to make it impervious to damp- 

 ness, are perfectly all right for Winter storage, but if your wall is of 

 hollow tile, dampness will certainly have to be guarded against, 

 especially during the untoward warm days which come to us in Winter. 



According to the compass exposure of this storage cellar (window 

 facing south, for instance) it will be advisable to reverse the arrange- 

 ment shown in diagram. 



Fashion your bins to suit your requirements. They are of best 

 advantage for preserving vegetables when made of slats so as to allow 

 for circulation of air. It would then be better to use many more slat 

 shelves for Apples and Potatoes than are indicated on plan. 



Whitewash your entire cellar once a year. 



A window in this Winter storage cellar is not a vital necessity. 

 If there is a window it should be heavily curtained, if facing the south 

 or west. 



Pumpkins and Squash should be laid on boards if the cellar does 

 not have a cement floor. Squash, however, can stand fifty degrees. 



Potatoes — If these show signs of rotting in the bin, through 

 dampness, sprinkle with slaked lime. 



The ideal temperature for such a cellar would be from 35 to 40 

 degrees; understood, of course, a freezing temperature would be 

 fatal to some of your stored supplies. 



In such a repository can also be placed away for Winter, all 

 your bulbs and tuberous-rooted stock, such as Gladioli, Dahlias and 

 Cannas; the two last mentioned should be slightly covered with a 

 layer of sand. 



