QUESTIONS 311 



Onions intended for winter use should be thoroughly cured, 

 as soon as possible after harvesting, by being kept in a dry place 

 where the air can circulate freely about them. After the onions 

 are cured, they keep best at a low temperature. If the cellar is 

 cool, as it should be for the storage of most crops, onions will keep 

 fairly well if placed in market baskets hung on the joists at the 

 top of the cellar. Frequent ventilation of the cellar, especially 

 when the outside air is dry, will improve the conditions for the 

 onions. If milk and butter are to be kept in the cellar, the onions 

 had better be somewhere else. They can frequently be kept in 

 the attic all winter if placed close enough to the chimney to prevent 

 freezing, yet far enough away to prevent over-heating or sprouting. 

 The dry atmosphere of a good attic is unfavorable to the sprouting, 

 even though at times the temperature may become somewhat high. 



Sweet Potatoes, Squashes, and Pumpkins. — All the vegetables 

 considered thus far keep best at a relatively low temperature. 

 In marked contrast to these vegetables are sweet potatoes, squashes, 

 and pumpkins. These demand high temperature, a dry atmos- 

 phere and free circulation of air. There is no better place to keep 

 sweet potatoes for home use than in a slatted crate close to the 

 chimney in an upstairs room that is kept warm at night as well as 

 during the day. Another good place is in baskets hung from the 

 ceiling of the furnace room in a basement. Squashes and pump- 

 kins also keep much better in the furnace room than in the ^' vege- 

 table cellar " or cool part of the basement. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Discuss the importance of storing vegetables, from the standpoint of the 



market gardener and the home grower. 



2. What should govern the time' of planting vegetables that are to be stored 



for winter use? 



3. What three factors must be considered in the storage of all vegetables? 



4. State the conditions essential to the successful storage of four different 



groups of vegetables. 



5. Describe the essential features in the construction of a storage house for 



vegetables. 



6. How may the root crops and cabbage be stored for home use? 



7. Describe the storing of celery for home use. 



8. Where can the home supply of onions be kept for winter? 



9. Where is the best place to keep the winter supply of sweet potatoes and 



squashes for home use? 



