ocq ROOT HOUSES 



^^ AND VEGETABLE PITS 



curely nailed, as the same lumber will do for 

 another pit next season. At distances of about 

 ten feet some boards are left without naiUng to 

 serve as entrances, and at each place a stake 

 is driven to mark the opening. 



Such a pit will protect crops until severe 

 freezing weather. After that, the board roof 

 should be covered with straw, grass or other 

 litter, and where the weather gets very cold, 

 manure and earth are often added as the outer 

 layer. The advantage of this pit is that it 

 contains a large body of air which secures uni- 

 form conditions from day to day, and celery, 

 leek, Brussels sprouts and even cabbage may be 

 stored by setting in compact rows, so that they 

 may make a shght root-hold and avoid shrivel- 

 ling. 



But there are many varieties of pits used for 

 storing vegetables, and in Kalamazoo, the Amer- 

 ican celery centre, the favorite celery storage 

 house is a permanent structure with windows 

 at regular intervals along the roof, to give the 

 necessary light for the workmen. These houses 

 have wooden ventilating chimneys, and are 

 usually heated with stoves so that the tempera- 

 ture may not fall below freezing point. 



