1883.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
378 
Root House, or Cellar. 
FIRST PRIZE PLANS BY “FLATS” (F. GRUNDY), CHRISTIAN 
CO., ILLS. 
The root house, shown in the engraving, is 
designed for a flat country, where water rises 
with team, plow and scraper. The earth 
excavated is banked around the building. 
Figure 4 shows another form of roof for the 
same kind of a house. The walls are 51 
feet high on the low side, and 7 feet on 
the high side. The rafters are 18 to 24 
crowded into tight boxes; spinach and 
“ sprouts,” faded and yellow from being sent 
closely pressed into unventilated barrels, and 
strawberries, evidently picked in a state of 
ripeness suited to a near market, and which, 
on reacliing the end of a long journey, are 
Fig. 1. —EXTERIOR OF A ROOT HOUSE. 
Fig. 2. —GROUND PLAN OF ROOT HOUSE. 
to near the surface. It may be of any size, 
8 by 12 to 18 by 36. The floor is three feet 
below the surface of the ground, and the 
walls are brick, laid in cement. The joists, 
five feet apart, rest on abutments two bricks 
square, which also serve to strengthen the 
wall. The joists are 2 by 18 inches. The 
under side of the cellar is ceiled with inch 
boards. All space between the joists is filled 
with sawdust. The roof is covered with 
shingles, or “ rubber roofing,” the latter is 
superior to shingles for this purpose. All space 
between the rafters and joists is filled with 
Fig. 3.— CROSS SECTION OF ROOT HOUSE. 
chaff. The house should run east and west, 
and have a window in the south side of the 
roof. The space for the window is boxed. Each 
window is double; one sash fits flush with 
the roof, and one with the ceiling. Both are 
hung on pivots and serve as ventilators ; box 
ventilators, (fig. 8), may be added if desired. 
The building over the entrance is 8 by 8 feet 
square, 5 feet high at the sides, and 8 
in the center. There is a door at the end, and 
a window in the south side. The entrance 
Fig. 4.— ANOTHER FORM OF ROOF. 
door to the root house may be double in very 
cold climates. Excavating is mostly done 
inches apart, and the space between is packed 
with sawdust. The roof is of inch boards, 
covered with tarred paper and “ rubber roof¬ 
ing,” or shingles. There is a window near 
the center, hung on pivots. This roof is a 
little cheaper than the other, and with rafters 
24 inches apart haS proved frost-proof, with 
the thermometer 30° below zero. During 
cold periods, a large-sized lamp lighted and set 
in the 12 by 20 house kept the air at 44°. 
Bins of any size or shape, suitable for the 
kind of roots housed, can be constructed in¬ 
side. Any bricklayer can give an estimate of 
materials and cost of construction in his sec¬ 
tion of the country. The ventilator opens 
and closes by raising up or pushing down the 
top. Figures 5,6, and 7 show how the windows 
are constructed and hung. The floor is kept 
perfectly dry by laying two tile drains 18 
inches beneath it, shown in figs. 3 and 4, and 
leading to a convenient outlet, not far away. 
Wasting the Produce. 
Those who have had experience in raising 
vegetables and fruits for market, soon learn 
that producing the crop is but a part of the 
business. Success depends quite as much 
upon the proper marketing of the produce. 
Where the articles are to be sent to a dis¬ 
tance, the packing is a most important con¬ 
sideration. Many who send fruit and vege¬ 
tables from Southern localities, must be 
paying dearly for their lack of knowledge as 
to proper packing. In those streets in New 
York, where such produce is mostly handled, 
one can, in walking a few blocks, see loads 
of perishable stuff that can only bring the 
sender in debt for the freight. There are 
radishes, with their green tops remaining, 
in a “leaky” condition—fit only for the 
sales of the street venders. These and other 
examples of badly packed produce are fre¬ 
quently met with. If the losses of this kind 
for a single week could be ascertained, the 
aggregate would be surprising. Perishable 
articles arrive in a worthless condition so 
frequently, that the leading commission 
houses have printed circulars to send to their 
customers, giving directions 
for the proper state in which 
the various articles should be 
gathered, and the best manner 
of packing. A large share of 
Fig. 7.— the window. Fig. 8. —the ventilator. 
the loss is due to lack of sufficient ventila¬ 
tion, and this can be very easily avoided. 
A Place for the Hay Rack. 
The hay-rigging or rack is usually a cum¬ 
bersome affair. One person is often obliged 
to remove or place it upon the wagon; this 
is easily done by arranging ropes and pulleys 
over head in the barn basement, or above a 
drive-way in an out-building. Drive two 
stakes near a fence, as shown in the engrav¬ 
ing, and nail on strips of boards, a, a. 
These strips should project beyond the stakes 
one foot, and be placed as high as the front 
wheels of the wagon. To remove the rack, 
drive close up to the platform, and first place 
the rear of the rack on the platform. In load¬ 
ing, the front end is first placed in position, 
the loose front bolster allowing the rear part 
to be readily and easily swung in position. 
The same is also true of the wagon box. This 
plan is much better than lowering the rack 
or box to the ground every time a change is 
made, which, on most farms, occurs many 
times in the course of a year’s time. L. D. S. 
