THE GENESEE FARMER. 



15 



it ■warm, Around this should he erected a tier of 

 shelves for storing the roots. These may be made 

 of scantling, 3 by 3 inches, the length as high as 

 you wish your shelves. Into these may be framed 

 cross-pieces, 2 inches square, 3 feet long, and 2 feet 

 apart. These should be set up at a convenient dis- 

 tance apart to support the shelves, which are to be 

 laid upon the cross-pieces. There sliould be a door 

 from the stable to the root-room, and a window or 

 windows to let in light, which should open for 

 ventilation in mild weatlier. 



The object of shelves is to prevent a large mass 

 of roots from coming in contact, obviating the 

 danger of fermentation and decay. Roots, if l^ft 

 out as long as will be safe from frost, and properly 

 dried in the sun, may at once be put upon the 

 shelves with safetj^ if proper attention is paid to 

 ventilation during any warm weatlier that may 

 follow. For want of shelf room, they may be 

 thrown upon the ground between the shelves to 

 the depth of two or more feet, for early using. 

 For late spring use, and want of other storage, 

 roots may be put into pits through the winter. 



No one will think of feeding even a limited quan- 

 tity of roots without a root cutter, which will cost 

 but a few dollars. 



Roots, to keep best, should be kept as near as 

 possible to the freezing point without quite reach- 

 ing it ; and in fact a slight " nip of frost" does not 

 seem to materially injure carrots. They would be 

 best suited to feed stock at a temperature of 60°, 

 though they do not injure stock at a much lower 

 temperature. This could only be obtained, during 

 the winter, by artificial heat. For this purpose, a 

 stove could be put in the root-room to raise the 

 temperature a little, and to prevent freezing in 

 extreme cold weather. o. s. c. 



Trenian Falls, iV. Y., Dec, 185S. 



Ix preserving and storing roots for winter use, I 

 prefer a cellar under the barn, or building intended 

 for stabling cattle, of the size of the building, dug, 

 if the ground will admit, six or seven feet deep, 

 and built up of stone or hard burnt brick. The 

 inner part of this basement I would use for a root- 

 cellar, and the outer part to tie up the cattle in. 

 By lihis plan you have the cattle and roots in one 

 building on the same floor. You can have divis- 

 ions in the root cellar to store all the different 

 varieties of roots, so that you can leed any kind 

 you wisjj. You can feed tiiem to the cattle with 

 comfort and without going out into the cold. 

 Roots can be put in easily by slides from the out- 

 side of the building, or by a trap door from above. 



As many may wish to raise and preserve roots 

 whose buildings are already put up, a building may 

 be put up above ground expressly for a root-house, 

 placing it where it will be most convenient to 

 Avhere the roots are to be fed. "Wood may be used 

 for the walls of a root-house ; yet, if wished to be 

 f'uraVjle. they ought to be of stone or brick. . After 

 fhe walls have been raised, rafters about six inches 

 deep should be put on and closely sheeted witli 

 inch boards on the under side; then, before or 

 when the outside sheeting is put on, the vacant 

 space between the outside and inside sheeting 

 <^ught to be carefully filled with dry sawdust or 

 S[)eMt tan-bark, and the whole shingled over, thus 

 forming a dry, frost-proof roof. If the building is 



much exposed to cold winds, the walls ought to be 

 banked up outside with earth. The door will be 

 most convenient if placed in the end of the house, 

 and there should be double doors, with a space of 

 three or four feet between them, as that will more 

 certainly exclude the frost and render easy access; 

 or, the door may open h\M the stalls where the 

 roots are to be fed. 



If the root-house or cellar be small, the roots 

 may be put in a pile without any danger; but if 

 the quautity is large, care nmst be taken to have 

 tliem thoroughly ventilated to prevent heating, 

 sprouting, and decay. If tlie root-house is large, a 

 passage may be made through the middle of the 

 building, and the roots filled in on each side and 

 across one end. This plan takes up much space. 

 A simple method of ventilation is by a square tube, 

 six to nine inches in diameter, perforated with 

 holes placed so as to be in the center of the pile of 

 roots, with a hrancJi tube leading to the top of the 

 roof. The aperture iii the roof should be closed as 

 soon as the weather is cold. The perfor.ated hori- 

 zontal air-box will be most convenient in sections 

 which can be removed as the roots are taken out. 

 Care must be taken to have the roots kept dry, as 

 wet and damp soon cause rapid decay. 



Roots can be safely preserved in pits, if \<q\\ 

 covered with straw and about a foot of earth. If 

 not wanted till spring, they are as well in pits as 

 in a house, but are inconvenient to get at in frosty 

 weather. w. e. 



Coboiirg, C. W., November, 1858. 



Through the long, severe winters, it is evident 

 that stock must do better if \ie\\ provided with 

 plenty of roots. To secure these, requires some 

 skill in constructing a building so as to have free 

 access to them through the winter. A barn on a 

 side-hill, if possible, is best, having all the cattle 

 underneath, with a root-house behind, and doors 

 opening from the cattle into the house. A barn 

 40 by 60 feet will hold four rows of cattle 

 containing fifteen head in a row, seven double stalls 

 and one single one, allowing four feet for each 

 animal. The two ends may be fitted up for cattle, 

 and the middle apartment for sheep, with a root- 

 house behind, 10 by 30 feet, or larger if desirable. 

 This makes a very convenient and warm place for 

 cattle and siieep, and a root-house holding 3,000 

 bushels. It may be enlarged to the length of the 

 barn if necessary. The stalls should be on the 

 sides of the barn, fifteen feet wide, heading toward 

 the center. In front of the stalls may be passage- 

 ways four feet wide, leading from the root-cellar, 

 around the center space, from which the feed can 

 be placed in the trouglis on either side. Hay, 

 straw, &c., can be put down through trap-doors 

 from the threshing-floor above. 



A very good plan, where only two or three 

 feet of side-hill can be obtained, is to construct the 

 barn with a substantial eight foot wall, with a 

 stable for cattle on the sides, and a root-house in 

 the center. In this case the roof-house will be 

 above the ground and exposed to frost, unless made 

 with double walls and tilled in with sawdust, _or 

 spent tan bark. Any space not occupied with 

 stalls, can be profitably used with movable pens 

 for calves or sheep. 



Neither of these plans ai'e adapted for horses,. 



