234 
Storing Vegetables Over Winter 
ING? all vegetables should be stored 
through the winter in the cellar — 
in fact, the cellar is not the most suitable 
place for the storage of any of them. 
Specially constructed buildings and pits 
in the ground can be prepared at com- 
paratively small cost, where both vegetables 
and apples can be kept in ideal condition 
through the greater part of the winter. 
Inasmuch as the requirements for each 
variety varies, I shall group them where 
several kinds require the same method of 
storage. 
Carrots, turnips, parsnips, and cabbage 
are not injured by freezing, but are improved 
in flavor if allowed to freeze slightly. 
No house or other covering is required 
except that they be buried in a pit where 
the earth can come in direct contact with 
them. A heavy covering of earth is not 
essential, as freezing and thawing will not 
injure these vegetables provided they are 
in contact with the earth when thawing. 
It is much easier to get at the vegetables 
if the ground is not frozen hard; a covering 
of straw over the earth mound will guard 
against this. 
For cabbages, dig long ditches wide 
enough to take two rows of heads, or wider 
still where there is a large quantity to store. 
Pull up the heads and pile in the ditch with 
the stalks up. Cover with earth and round 
off the top of the mound. 
Carrots, turnips, parsnips and_ salsify 
can be simply piled in a round heap and 
covered with dirt. Do not store any of these 
until after a slight freeze, but if they 
freeze hard, leave them in the ground until 
thawed. 
Gather the apples about the time of the 
first frost and put in an open shed, or rail 
Do you wonder that fruit and vegetables do not 
keep when stored in this way? 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
pen covered with boards. They should 
be kept there as long as possible without 
freezing hard; a slight freeze will not injure 
them. Whenever practicable, make the 
apple or potato pit under a shed where 
there is protection from the water and 
good drainage. Scoop out a place in the 
ground a foot deep, throwing the dirt out 
on all sides. Place some straw in the 
bottom, then pile the potatoes or apples 
on this in a conical heap. Cover with 
straw to keep the dirt off, then cover with 
earth to a sufficient depth to prevent freez- 
ing. Lastly, put on boards in the shape of 
a roof, unless the pit is under a shelter. 
Potatoes must not be allowed to freeze 
at all, although they will stand a heavy frost 
without injury. If there should be an 
unusually warm spell after storing, remove 
part of the covering. A better way is to 
cover lightly at first and put on more earth 
as the weather gets colder and the ground 
freezes. 
One of the best methods of storing sweet 
potatoes is to keep them in barrels or boxes 
of road dust in a room where the tempera- 
ture does not drop to the freezing point. 
They must not be allowed to chill and 
must be kept dry. They are, however, 
also very susceptible to heat, and if stored 
in large quantities are apt to get over- 
heated and rot. 
If stored in a pit, leave an opening in 
the top for ventilation, which must be 
Garden truck stored in this cellar will be in ideal 
condition whenever used 
closed only to keep out rain or to prevent 
freezing. Where large quantities are kept 
it will be necessary to have a frost-proof 
building with free circulation of air. 
While celery is not a tender plant, it 
must not be allowed to freeze solid as pars- 
nips or salsify may. A cheap way of storing 
celery is to allow it to remain in the row, 
drawing more dirt up to it as the tempera- 
ture falls, and when the ground freezes 
cover with sufficient earth and straw or 
fodder to exclude the frost. This method 
requires a great amount of labor and is 
not always satisfactory. 
A better method is to make a pit similar 
to the one for carrots, pull up the bunches 
of celery by the roots and set them close 
together in the pit, being careful to have 
the roots in contact with fresh dirt and 
setting the bunch upright. When all is 
in place draw the tops together and cover 
lightly with straw to keep the dirt out of 
DrEcEMBER, 1908 
the crown. Do not put any straw on the 
sides but draw up the dirt so that it will be 
in contact with the outside bunches and 
be deep enough to prevent freezing. It is 
essential that the roots be left on and remain 
in contact with moist earth. 
Celery may be kept very well in a cellar 
by placing some earth in barrels or boxes. 
and setting the bunches therein, sprinkling 
frequently to keep moist. However, storing 
in the ground insures crispness. Celery 
need not be stored early as the banking 
will afford protection against quite a cold 
spell. A heavy frost or even a light freeze 
will not injure it, and if stored too early 
it will rot. 
Specially constructed pits walled with 
boards and covered with removable roofs. 
are convenient, as it will not be necessary 
to use so much dirt or straw. ; 
Missouri. Hucu F. GRINSTEAD. 
Insects on the Umbrella Tree 
N THE GarDen Macazine for October,. 
1908, on page 120, the eminent horti- 
culturist, Mr. P. J. Berckmans, in a very 
interesting article on shade trees, makes. 
the statement that the umbrella tree is not 
infested by insects. As this tree has been 
largely planted in Florida and the article 
is likely to be read to a considerable extent 
in the South, I feel it will be quite necessary 
to correct this statement — at least so far 
as Florida, the southern portions of Georgia, 
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and sub- 
tropical Texas are concerned. 
The chinaberry and umbrella trees in 
this region are severely infested by that 
most noxious and ubiquitous insect, the 
white fly, which has certainly caused 
greater loss to the citrus growers of the 
Southeastern United States than all other 
insects combined. The chinaberry and 
umbrella trees are such prolific breeders. 
that myriads of these insects are on flight 
every evening about sundown, making it 
extremely uncomfortable to be passing 
along the streets of the smaller cities during 
that time. 
In Northern Florida and Southern 
Georgia citrus trees rarely occur, but the 
white fly becomes a great nusiance due 
almost wholly to breeding on the chinaberry 
and umbrella trees. In addition to the 
white fly, at least two species of scale insects 
become unusually severe on both the 
umbrella and chinaberry trees. 
Florida. P. H. Ros. 
