Nebraska advertiser., 1856-08-30
farultrs' Department.
OUTDOOR CELLARS.

MEssRs. EDs.-In yours of 28th of
Feb, III. Of North Lawrence, n. Y,
makes inquiry about the construction
of an outdoor cellar, "on level, sandy
lands Three years age last fall, l
made an oat-door cellar for storing
roots, cabbages, potatoes, &c. 1t is
about fifteen rods from nay house, and
although not on 1level sandy land," /
am SO pleased with it, I will give short
account of its construction, as it may
furnish H., or some other of your
readers, with some hints that may be
useful, if they wish to make a cellar
"entirely separate from other bull
dings."
The cellar under my house, although
drained, Is very damp and warm, too
much so for keeping apples, potatoes
and roots in the best condition. Some
years have stored large quantities of
turnips and other vegetables in it, but
every time the door was opened there
would be a rush of the warm air of the
cellar, tainted with the smell O ~fturnips,
&C., into the rooms of the house, which
was anything but pleasant. Toremedy
or abate this nuisance, / determinedto
make an outdoor cellar. I selected a
spot on a moderately sloping hillside,
and excavated the earth from square
of about seventeen feet. Then firmly
fitted up ioists, as is done for building
the walls of lime and cobble-stone
houses. Against the outside of the
joints, l placed, edgewise, four planks,
about one foot wide, and fourteen feet
long. This left the cellar fourteen feet
square, inside. Procured a cask of.
fresh lime, and two or three casks at
a lanyard; this had much hair mixed
with it; also a cart-load of sand; with
these Imade alarge quantity of mortar.
The stones for the wall we're mostly
cObble stones collected about my fields.
Commenced the wall by spreading a
layer of mortar on the bottom of the
cellar between the plank and the bank
of earth; then laid a tier of stone
twelve to fifteen inches wide, then
filed up the interstics between the
stone; then another tier of stone and
mortar, much like laying a brick wall.
This course was pursued till the walls
came even with the top edges of the
planks. The plank were then raised
their width, and pfopped up, and
another twelve inches Of stone and
mortar. In this way the walls on three
sides were raised to the height Of seven
feet. On the south side the wall was
only about three feet high. From the
sill on this wall to the plate, it was
boarded on the outside, and lathed and
plastered inside. At the southeast
corner is a doorway, about three and
e.. a half feet high, two and a half wide,
with double doors, one opening into the
cellar, the other outward; this is not
hung by hinges Sills lay upon the
walls, and upon them a good roof; a
double floor, covered With a fewinches
of saw-dust, is the only protection
against frost wei the cellar: In the
winter, enter the loft by a door in the
east end; a scuttle or trap-door in
chamber admits of goingintO the cellar
any time during winter. Apples and
ali kinds of vegetables keep in much
better condition in this cellar than in
that under my house. The cellar was
a cheap concern, mostly built by ode
Jobs, and 1 should be unwilling to part
with it for twice the sum it cost.
Formerly many farmers in this
section of the country had outdoor
cellars. They were usually built upor
a side-hiIl; the sides walled up a suf
fcient height; the top covered will
large hewn timbers, and some two fee
or more of soil over the timbers; bu
such cellars we're damp from the rail-
and snow water dripping down between
the timbers; this caused them to 70
after a few years, and the cellars be
came useless.
The chamber over the cellar is a con
venientplace for storing rakes, scythes
&C., when not in use.
We would just say to your CORES
pondent, H, that he can safely buiIc
a cellar on level land, wholly abov,
ground, if he will surround the wall
with a mound of earth sufficiently
thick to keep out the frost, and pu
over it a roof similar to the one abov,
described. L. BARTLETT.-K Warner
NJ IT