White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-12-13
fir ltbt farnnrs
A Potato House-storiny Potatoes and
Appfes.

4 Potato House-St0finy Potatoes ana
Apples.
D.. r., Of Jefferson County, KY, has reeusst-
Cd No to inform him how he should proceed TO
Bald . house suitable for storing potatoes. Is
b high time that the primitive manner Of bury
Ing potatoes in heaps in the ground was aban-
doned and some improved plan adopted more
In sceortsnce with the progress Of the age. Pc.
sasoes that have been piled up in masses and
covered With earth through the winter are unit
% cat IN the spring. Stored in this way they
and changes the chemical condition Of the to.
BEN, and besides this they absorb considers
BE quantity Of moisture; and hence, for the to
BE or for any other purpose. they are Of but
little value, except to feed 70 farm stock.
When the country was new and farmers were
obliged to be content with cabin for & dwell.
ing. potatoes might, for the time, be stored in
the ground; bot now there are but few farmers
who cannot build suitable potato house. Where
an abundance of cellar room 10 at command, po-
tatoes may generally be well kept without the
labor Of building house especially for that
purpose; yet it is not pleasant te have them
stored in large quantities in the cellar Of the
dwelling. =
The size ofa potato house must be governed
BY the quantity expected for storage. Sixteen
feet square, for ordinary purposes. makes .
convenient size. The outside walls should be
either of logs, stone or brick. When timber 10
convenient, We should prefer logs, not less than
eight inches thick. The more compact they
are laid up the better. The spaces between the
logs should be well filed in and closely plas-
tered. Around the inside a row of studs should
be placed twelve inches from the vail and
planked up. The space between the wall and
the lining should be filed with cut straw, old
tan-bark, or charcoal. Upon the joist overhead
. floor should be laid, and npon this covering
of tan bark should also be laid, say six inches
thick. A wooden chimney or ventilator eight
or ten inches square should extend from the
room through the roof or out at the gable end.
Bins or shelves should be made IN each side of
. centre passage. az.
1t is well not to have the potatoes more than
three feet deep in the bins. If this does not If.
ford room enough to store the crop, . similar
tier Of bins may be made above the one on the
door. A double door should be provided. and
one of them lined so as TO shut out the frost in
extreme cold weather. With house thus ar
ranged, and the potatoes dried before they are
put in, they will remain good, dry and sound
till June. They are always acceptable either
for use or for market, and at times when il
would be inconvenient to take them from pits
In winter. 1t is as important to preserve pota.
toes we'll for seed as it is for the tsble. Pota,
1oes stored in pits during the winter usually
part with much of their vital or negotiating
power by being heated, which causes premature
vegetation. These sprouts are usually lost
and the second grswth, Of course, can never be
equal in strength and vigor to the first growth. |
A house thus constructed is not subject to the
fluctuations Of temperature OF the external air;
always cool, and yet the temperature never fall |
ing to the freezing point.
A house similarly constructed is the best |
place for the storage of apples. Apples will re-
sist several degrees more cold than potatoes.
Atemperature of thirty degrees or even lower
for . shor: time would not injure apples, The |
nearer the freezing point apples are kept the
better. But apples before being stored should
be allowed to remain in piles in the orchard,
sheltered from the rain and dsws, with cover.
ing of boards, and after they have passed through
the ordinary sweating, they may be stored. If
stored in an ordinary cellar they would keep
better if carefully packed in barrels and laid
up where they can remain dry. II apples are
expected to keep well they must be carefully
hand picked, and all inferior and ansound ap-
pies removed.