THE ROOT CELLAR. 43 



whether roots should be kept under ground or above ground. 

 I tell you, with a temperature ten or twenty degrees below zero, 

 it is not an easy matter to keep them from freezing below 

 ground, without undertaking to keep them above. You want 

 to unload them conveniently and easily. How are you going 

 to do it ? Put right in the middle of the barn a root cellar, 

 with ventilation pipes running up through to the roof, if you 

 desire ; put windows in the cellar wall underneath the barn, 

 and bring them far enough forward to have a large scuttle hole 

 there, that you can drive over and dump your roots through it. 

 Just as simple as wheeling a load of gravel and dumping it into 

 the road ! All you want then is a boy or two to toss them away 

 from underneath the scuttle-holes, for two reasons : one is, to 

 make room, and the other is, you cannot keep either mangolds 

 or turnips with so much heat as dumping one load on another 

 would make ; they would heat and rot ; they must, therefore, 

 be moved. But it is as convenient as anything can be, and 

 easily ventilated. 



Then, when you want to use them, what are you going to do ? 

 You say you don't want to bring them out of the cellar. Very 

 well ; I don't blame you much for that. How far is it from this 

 trap-door to this floor ? You can go down and throw them up 

 by hand, if you want to. If not, you can rig a box or barrel 

 •with a pulley, lower it down there, fill it, hoist it up, and you 

 have your roots. Then you have all this room clear to set up 

 a root-cutter. You have your root-cutter within five feet of the 

 stairway leading down into the cellar, and your roots are easily 

 brought up. They will not freeze ; the cellar is easily cleaned 

 out, atid convenient, and then you have all the rest of that cel- 

 lar for making manure. I assure you that a barn long enough 

 to hold fifty-two head of cattle will require four and a half feet 

 of room in the cellar, per head, to hold the manure that will be 

 made — always taking it for granted that every prudent man 

 puts up his cows at night, the summer through. 



I have taken more time than I ought. I agree with Mr. Hyde 

 in his report. The suggestions I have made, I have made because 

 I was asked to do it, having had no other chance. I think, con- 

 sidering the room required, the economy and strength of the 

 building, and the convenience of it, the suggestions I have mado 

 are, at least, worthy of respectful consideration. 



