Not all the vegetables need be limited to the very short season when they may be picked ripe; if properly stored you can prolong their 
period of freshness 
Storing Vegetables and Fruits 
THE CARE AND PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY TO KEEP FRUIT AND VEGETABLES THROUGH 
THE WINTER—WHAT KIND OF A STORAGE ROOM OR FRUIT CELLAR TO BUILD 
by M. Roberts Conover 
Photographs by S. W. Fletcher and others 
T HE preservation of fruits and vegetables is difficult only 
when heedlessly attempted or when one lacks the right 
equipment. After breaking contact with the soil or the parent 
plant, winter vegetables must be subjected to certain changes to 
render them proof against decay for a time at least. The meth¬ 
ods of preserving raw products either deprive the product of heat 
above a certain temperature, or of moisture in a warmer atmos¬ 
phere, according to the requirements of the fruit. In the case of 
apples and pears, the low temperature retards the ripening proc¬ 
ess thus postponing decay, but with certain classes of vegetables 
the ripening must be perfected by heat and the absence of mois¬ 
ture thus toughening the outer skin so that it protects the flesh. 
All fruits and vegetables must be so handled that no bruises are 
made on rind or skin and no injury by sun-scalding or by freez¬ 
ing. One storeroom cannot meet the needs of all fruits and vege¬ 
tables. The attic will house strings of peppers and bundles of 
herbs, but it is too variable in temperature for fruits on tubers. 
A cellar built into a hillside. Its walls are air spaced and by 
keeping things dry, cool and well ventilated decay is prevented 
The root cellar is ideal for barreled apples, Irish potatoes, carrots, 
beets, etc., but too damp for sweet potatoes. The warm dry air 
of a storeroom over the kitchen, where fire is kept the winter 
through, will preserve sweet potatoes, squashes and pumpkins. 
It is a fact, however, that no matter how careful the storage, 
vegetables will fail to keep where the preliminary steps were care¬ 
lessly taken. For instance, winter apples and pears should have 
attained full size, but in favorable localities should not have 
ripened when gathered. The snappy weather accompanying frost 
retards the ripening process and favors the ultimate keeping of 
the fruit. After hand picking, apples and pears should be kept 
as cool as possible—in a building—if possible. After several days 
they should be sorted, boxed or barreled and stored where the 
temperature will not fall below 32 0 nor rise much above 38° in 
the winter. 
Squash and pumpkins, cut from the vines and left lying on the 
(Continued on page 188) 
The root cellar is ideal for apples, Irish potatoes, carrots, beets, 
etc., but is too damp for sweet potatoes 
(163) 
