Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-10-17
AGRICULTURAL.
PRESERVATION OF VEGETABLES
IN WINTER.

IN WINIEh.
The following timely article is chapter
from Mr.. Henderson 5 forthcoming work on
Gardening :; -
sour manner of preserving vegetable
roots in winter is, think, peculiar to this
district, and is very simple and safe. After
taking ND such crops as beets. carrots, horse
radish, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, etc in fall,
thev are put into temporary oblong heaps,
on the surface of the ground on which they
have been growing, and covered up with 5
or 6 inches of soil, which viii keep off such
slight frosts as are likely to. occur until time
can be spared to put them in permanent win
ter quarters, this is done in this section usu-
ally during the first part of December, In the
following manner: A piece of ground is
chosen as dry as possible /; if not naturally
dry, provision must be made to carry off the
water, lower than hebottom ofthepit The
pit is dug out from three to four feet deep,
about six feet wide, and of thelengthrequr-
ed the roots are then packed IN sections OF
about two feet wide across the pit, and only
to the height of the ground level. Between
the sections, space Of half feot is left,
which is filed up with the soil level to the
top this leaves the pit filed up two feet
wide in roots, and half foot of soil, and so
on until the whole is finished. The adyan-
tage of this plan is, that.it is merelya series
of small pits, holding from three to five bar
rels of roots, which can be broken out for
market without exposing the next section,
as it is closed off by the six inches of soil be-
tween. Also that we find that roots of all
kinds keep safer when in small bulk, than
when large numbers are thrown into one pit
together. In covering, the top Is rounded
so as to throw off the water, with layer OF
from Is inches to two feet of SOIL This way
ofpreserving roots, with perhaps the excep-
ton Of potatoes, is much preferable to keep
ing them in cellar or root house, as they
not only keepfresher, retaining more oft their
natural flavor andcolor, butfar fewero them.
are lost by decay than when exposed to the
air and varying temperature of acellar. I'm
matured heads of caulifower or broccoli,
however, are best matured in a light cellar
or cold frame, by being planted close togeth-
er in this way good heads may be had till
January. Cabbages are preserved very sim
ply; they are left out as late as they can be
pulled up by the roots, in this section about
the end ofNovember, they are then pulled
up and turned up side down-the roots up,
the heads packed close together, in beds six
feet wide, with six feet alleys between, care
being taken to have the ground levelled
where the cabbages are placed, so that they
pack nicely. They are left in this way for
two or three weeks, or as long as the ground
can be dug between the alleys, the soil from
which is thrown in on the beds of cabbage,
so that when finished they have a covering
of four or six inches of SOIL This is not
enough to cover thereof however, which is
left partly exposed, but this is in no way in
furious. Some prefer to cover them up at
once by plowing furrow, shoveling it out
wide enough to receive the headsof the cab
bages, then turning the soil in on the heads,
and SO continuing until beds Of six or eight
feet are thus formed This plan is rather
more expeditions than the former, but it has
the disadvantage Of compelling them to be
covered up at once by soil, while the other
plan delaysit two or three weeks later, and
it is ofthe utmost importance In preserving
vegetables that the operation particularly
the final covering) be delayed as late in the
season as frost will permit. Generally more
is lost by beginning too soon than delaying
too late Onions, we find are best preserv-
ed in a barn or stable loft, in layers of from
to 10 inches deep, covered up with about
= foot of hay or straw on the approach Of
severe frosts. The great point to be attain
ed is low temperature and dry atmos-
phere; they viii bear 20 degreesof frostwith-
put injury, provided they are not moved |
while frozen, but they viii not stand aredue-
ion of temperature much lower than this |
without injury. A07ievlfuroltst. |