mameam 
168 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
3d. The third precaution consists in excluding the air 
■waste much in cooking. 
Thy friend, 
DAVID 
WHITE. 
EXTRACTS, 
If I can have hogs of about a year old, with smallgscarcity, which disturb social order, and give rise to ex¬ 
bone well covered with meat and fat, managed as above,gcesses prejudicial to all. ' icompletely; if this fluid should gain admi ttance it must 
whether the moon be old or new, or the wind blow from§| it appears that the people of the most ancient timesinecessarily convey in at the same time moisture a’nd oxv- 
tlie north or south, when they are killed, I have confi-ppreserved their grains uninjured through several years,igen, the two principles of germination • the presence of 
dence that I shall have good bacon, and that it will not||merely by secluding them entirely from the action of airfeair will likewise favor the existence and multiplication 
rm... K and moisture. |of insects : whilst if the trench be full of grain and well 
i . lie ^fl* ne . se bave fr . om tlme immemorial preservedfficlosed, all the air which it contains will be changed into 
gtheir grains in pits, which they call teon: these ditches|carbonic acid, (as I have explained in speaking of the 
are either hewn out in rocks, free from chinks and hu-|action of air upon fruits,) and the insects will remain 
nudity, or what is still better, they are dug in a firm, dryltorpid. This last assertion is, as we shall shortly see, 
nr, the Preservation of the Fruits of the Earth bvlfu tber e be . any danger of humidity about the pitsjsupported by the results of the experiments which 
Secluding them from the Action of Air, Water,!^^® %^ ood ^ t ? urn ® d ™ been made by the Board of Provisions of War, 
and Heat. Ilhaiden and diy the earth. The grain is not put into thegfor the purpose of ascertaining the best mode of preserv- 
“|pits till some months after the harvest, nor till it basiling grain. 
... . jbeen well dried in the sun; it is then covered over with|| But the construction of these trenches, as it involves 
The atmospheile an coming in contact with fruits de-|jmats made of the chaff of the grain or of straw, andfcsome expense, and requires much care, will be for along 
prives them of their carbon and forms carbonic acid, gthis again by a bed of earth well beaten down thatitltime rejected by mere farmers. However advantageous 
Fruits exposed to the solvent action of water suffer||may not be penetrated by water. i this arrangement may be, it belongs entirely to public 
decomposition by having the affinity existing betweenffl . Varro, Columella, and Pliny inform us, that the an-Kauthorities, great cities and governments, to set an ex- 
their constituent principles weakened, and at length feients proserved their grain in ditches hollowed out oflample of the use of it, by withdrawing from circulation, 
destroyed. «... , , ... ;| roc ^ s or dug in the earth, the sides of them being lined Sduring years of abundant harvests, large quantities of 
Heat dilates the particles of bodies, and thus dimi-| B ”- : ‘ u -*- ^ •' - -- . - - 
nishes the forces of cohesion and attraction, and favorsj 
the admission of air and water. 
Iwith straw. Quintius Curtius relates, that the army of| 
[fAlexander experienced great privation upon the banks| 
jof the Oxus, because the inhabitants of the country pre-| 
The combined action of these three agents produceslfserved their corn in subterranean pits, the situation of| 
very speedy decomposition: the effect produced by anygjwhich was known only to those who dug them.* 
one of them is slower, and the results different. So thaljl I have several times had occasion to visit in Amboisef 
in order to preserve fruits from decomposition it is ne-jjwhat are called Caesar’s granaries, and from examining! 
cessary to guard them from the power of these threejflthe place, I think there can be no doubt that it was in-f 
destroyers. _ Stended for the preservation of grain. About thirty feetl 
In several European countries, particularly in the||above the level of the waters of the Loire, there are dugf 
north, roots of all kinds are preserved merely by se-lin a dry and solid calcareous rock, deep and broad ex-| 
eluding them entirely from air, heat and water; this isglcavations arranged in three stages separated from each' 
done by digging deep ditches in a dry soil upon a spotgother by vaults. Behind the first excavations, there are 
a little elevated, and depositing in them the roots, whicliHformed others, and separated from them by a wall of] 
are afterwards covered over with a layer of earth ofHrock six or seven feet thick, and within these are built,' 
sufficient thickness to prevent them from suffering by gof brick and mortar, circular granaries of about fifteen 
the frost; over the whole is then laid a bed of straw, gjfeet in diameter: the upper part of the granaries is con- 
broom or fern, in order to protect them from rain andSiracted, and the aperture, which is that by which they 
from the water of melting snows, which might filtrateSare filled, is covered over by a stone: the grain is taken 
through into the pit. fafrom them through a hopper placed at the bottom. To 
Roots, to keep well, must have their surfaces entirelyfflavoid all dampness, the space contained between the 
free from moisture before being thus buried. Ilwalls of the granaries and those of the rock is filled 
The roots have in themselves a preserving principle,glwith fine and very dry sand from the Loire. A gallery 
which does not exist in a dead plant or one that has 
terminated its period of vegetation: they have as yet’ 
lived but a portion of their vegetable life; thay have not 
formed the seeds, which secure the continuance of their 
species; and to fulfil this great design of nature they 
profit by every circumstance, which can favor and con¬ 
firm their vegetation; but when placed for a time be¬ 
yond the action of air, water, and heat, their organs re- ! 
main at rest till again excited by the presence of these 
powerful agents. 
As dead bodies do not retain this animating principle, 
the energies of which are only suspended in roots, 
grains, See. during the winter, so they suffer decomposi¬ 
tion, though less rapidly, from the contact of air, heat, 
and water. 
In the way of which I have just spoken, beets, car-; 
rots, potatoes, and many other vegetables may be pre-' 
served uninjured till summer. 
A very simple method of preserving them at least' 
free from decomposition, is, to heap them up in piles 
upon a very dry soil, and then to cover them upon all 
sides with straw enough to protect them from rain and 
frost: in England, this is esteemed the best method of; 
keeping turnips. 
Vegetables may likewise be preserved by heaping| 
them up in barns to the height of five or six feet, care 
being taken to cover them well with straw or hay at the 
commencement of the severe cold weather. Should the 
roots in these heaps begin to vegetate, they must be 
removed, and thus their farther development checked. 
Thomas Dallas has published some very important: 
observations* upon the modes of treating potatoes which 
have been affected by the frost. With us such potatoes; 
are rejected, as being unfit either for food or for fur 
nishing fecula. The able agriculturist above mentioned 
considers them in three different states; 1st, when they| 
are slightly touched by the frost; 2d, when the outei 
portion of their substance is frozen; and 3d, when they 
are frozen throughout. 
In the first case he finds that nothing more is neces¬ 
sary, than to sprinkle the roots with lime to absorb the 
water formed under the skin, which would speedily oc¬ 
casion their complete decomposition. In the second in¬ 
stance he causes the potatoes to be pared and thrown for 
some hours into water slightly salted. When the pota¬ 
toes are completely frozen, he finds them to yield, upon 
distillation, a spirituous liquor resembling the best rum, 
and affording much more alcohol, and that of a better 
quality, than can be procured from the roots before 
freezing. 
The preservation of grains has always been an object; 
of much consideration both to governments and agricul¬ 
turists, and it is a peculiarly interesting one, because 
bread forms so large a portion of the nourishment of Eu¬ 
ropeans, and because the scarcity and high price of it; 
have been the cause or the pretext for popular discon¬ 
tents and insurrections. 
The art of preserving grains unchanged, besides ob 
viating this evil, presents the additional advantage to 
the agriculturists of enabling him to make a good har-; 
vest, compensate for a bad one, by maintaining the price 
of bread stuff at a rate suitable alike for the consumer 
and the producer; and thus avoiding those periodical 
successions of high and low prices, of abundance or 
*JJibliotheque Universelle, Art. Agriculture, Vol. II, p. 123. j 
formed also in the rock communicates on one side with 
the granaries, and on the other with a staircase cut in 
the rock, which conducts directly to the banks of the 
river. It would seem that the excavations served as 
magazines of stores for daily consumption, and the gra¬ 
naries for reserved supplies. It is difficult to conceive 
of any arrangement more suitable for preserving grain, 
or of a situation more favorable for obtaining or for 
transporting it. 
In some warm and dry countries, it has been custo 
mary from time immemorial to preserve grain, withless 
precaution certainly than in the granaries above de¬ 
scribed, but in situations where it could be kept for six 
or seven years. Prosper Alpinus relates, that not far 
from Cairo there was a high wall built, enclosing a spot 
of ground of about two miles in circumference, which 
was filled every six or seven years with heaps of wheat: 
he adds, that the abundant dews of night softened the 
outer portions of the grain and caused it to germinate 
but that in a short time the sun dried the young shoots, 
which then formed a hard covering to the mass, and did 
not permit either air or moisture to penetrate it. In a 
similar manner individuals may preserve their grain 
upon floors in the open air, merely by covering the heaps 
of it with mats. 
In the Basilicata, according to the report of Intieri,f 
the farmers form their corn into heaps upon the borders 
of the sea; these are soon covered, in consequence of 
of the rains, with a strong vegetation, which forms over 
them a layer impermeable by air or water. * * * 
The grainswhich are consumed in Algiers andTunis, 
or which are exported thence, are, after having been 
well dried in the sun, deposited in trenches cut in the 
rocks, and having their sides lined with straw. The] 
Count of Lasteyrie has found the same mode followed] 
in Malta, Sicily, Spain, and Italy. There are even some; 
countries where the governments have caused trenches 
to be constructed, in which the cultivator's of lands might] 
deposit their harvest till a favorable season for selling] 
them. 
In order to secure a perfect preservation of the grain 
in trenches, it is necessary to make use of certain pre¬ 
cautions, without which the entire loss of it must be^ 
hazarded: the means of security are as follows. 
1st. The grain should never be put into trenches till 
it is perfectly dry; it must therefore be first exposed tol 
the sun for several days, and during that time be oftenf 
turned, that every part of it may become equally dry. j 
2d. In constructing the trenches, choice must be made 
of a dry soil, or a rock free from chinks, that there may 
be no danger either from dampness or the filtration of 
water. The walls of the trenches may be made with 
such cement as the Romans used in the construction of 
their aqueducts; this is composed merely of lime and 
pebbles; the walls of these aqueducts were raised in 
frames, and the surface of them carefully polished; I| 
have visited the remains of some of them in various 
parts of France, and have found them everywhere pre¬ 
sent the same appearance; I am convinced that this ce¬ 
ment is impenetrable by water, and of a solidity more 
than sufficient for constructing the sides of trenches.j: 
corn to be deposited in trenches and preserved against 
years of scarcity. Much has been written within a few 
years, upon the best methods of preserving grain ; but 
all those that have been proposed were founded upon 
the same principles. 
The Board of Provisions of War, under the direction 
of Count Dejean, has performed a series of well direct¬ 
ed experiments, from which excellent results have been 
obtained: the apparatus used in them consisted of lead 
receivers hermetically sealed and having all their join¬ 
ings soldered. Meal and grain full of weevils were en¬ 
closed in three receivers; when these were opened, at 
the end of a year, it was found that no injury had been 
done by the weevils; they were all either dead or in a 
state of torpor. In one of the receivers there was found 
a collection of grains adhering to each other in a mass 
about as large as a middling sized apple; this arose from 
fthe entrance of air and moisture through a hole the size 
of a pin, accidentally left unsoldered in one of the joints. 
1 The elder M. Ternaux caused trenches to be formed 
land filled with Corn in the beautiful field of Saint Ar- 
| ven; in order to be sure of the preservation of the grain, 
he caused the trenches to be opened from year to year, 
and the results were always satisfactory. 
Corn, well dried and guarded from air and moisture, 
may be preserved in the ear for a long time, and it is a 
well-known fact that in some agricultural countries the 
sheaves are formed into stacks which are taken down 
either for consumption or the market, at those times 
when the laborers upon the farm can be employed only 
in threshing in a bain. 
Instead of constructing trenches of stone without the 
farm buildings, there might be built, within them, bins 
of stone, of a size proportioned to the produce of the 
farm, and with the openings covered in such a manner 
as to exclude the air. The same purpose may be an¬ 
swered by chests and tubs of wood having their out¬ 
sides covered with a thick coat of oil paint. The great 
earthen jars in which oil is kept at the south, are like¬ 
wise very good for keeping grain in. 
Either of these methods is preferable to that of stor¬ 
ing grain in such granaries as are commonly used, since 
the utmost care will not entirely protect it from mois¬ 
ture, insects, mice, &c. nor will it often remain in them 
unchanged beyond three or four years. 
Corn which is housed without being thoroughly dried, 
or which is stored in a damp place, acquires a musty 
smell and taste, which render it unfit for the customary 
uses: but as this alteration affects only the outer cover- 
ing, and not the substance of the kernel, it may be easi¬ 
ly removed by throwing upon the grain double its weight 
of boiling water, carefully stirring the mass till the wa¬ 
ter becomes cold. The spoiled kernels which swim up¬ 
on the top, must then be removed, the water poured off, 
and the grain spread to dry. M. Peschier preferred em¬ 
ploying for this purpose boiling water rendered slight¬ 
ly alkaline, and afterwards washing the grain in pure 
water.* 
When corn has been heated or injured in a percepti¬ 
ble manner, the vegeto-animal portion is almost always 
changed ; in this case the farina is not susceptible of a 
good fermentation, and the bread made from it is un¬ 
wholesome : such grain is fit only for the manufactory 
of starch. 
The modes of preserving vegetable juices and other 
articles of food deserve also much attention. 
The substances of which I shall now speak present 
the alimentary principle so mixed with, or dissolved in 
the aqueous fluid, as to render them exceedingly suscep¬ 
tible of alteration and decomposition. It is not sufficient 
to seclude these from the air, since they contain for the 
most part within themselves those principles of fermen¬ 
tation, which, acting upon each other, produce decompo¬ 
sition. 
Seclusion from the air alone will not preserve these 
substances; the nature of some of the fermentative 
principles must be changed; and for effecting this I 
would recommend the preserving process made use of 
by M. Appert and confirmed by numberless experiments. 
I shall here only make mention of the mode of preserva¬ 
tion; as the work of M. Appert is before the public, it 
may be consulted in regard to the necessary details re¬ 
specting^mtchoperatiomf____ 
* Des Fosses propres a la Conservation des Grains; par] 
M. le comte de Lasteyrie. 
f Della Perfetta Conservazione del Grano; 4to. p. 12. 
j The mode of building may be used which the Count of] 
Lasteyrie has proposed in his work entitled, Des Fosses pour 
la Conservation des Grains. 
* Annales de Chimie et de Physique, tome VI. p. 87. 
f Le Livre de tous les Menages, on L’Art de conserver 
pendant plusieurs a ndes toutes les Substances Animales et 
Vegetales. 1811, 2e edition; par M. Appert. 
