Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-06-17
agricultural.
Cleaning the Cellar.

This is an important work which should
be attended to as early in the spring as
practicable, but not before all the potatoes
and roots which were slowed away in the
autumn can be removed to the barn with
out danger of their freezing. Be very
careful not to leave any potatoes, turnips
or beets to sprout and decay upon the floor
or in barrels, and faint the air and the
house 1t is not the easiest work to clean
Il cellar, and it should be attended to in the
forenoon, when the body is better able to
resist the malign influences of chill and
dampness. This kind of homework is
mems work, us they are used to working
in wet and cold-they can take some rainy
day for the work. and set about it thorough
w. Clean it so that there is not Il cobweb
to be seen nor particle of dirt left cling
inc to the walls. shelves, or indeed to any
part of the whole room or rooms; for | be
lieve that the physical health of the inmates
of the house is greatly dependent upon
perfectly clean and sweet cellar. If any
debris is left, if in the dark corners there
fingers II few rOtting potatoes, II few decay
ing turnips and cabbages, they are engen-
dering typhoid fever, slowly. perhaps, but
none the less surely. l have heard ply
stefan of great eminence say that the time
was near at hand when to have typhoid
fever in ones family would be quite as
much disgrace us it is now to have the
horrid disease called . Itch" for both of
them arise from disgraceful uncleanliness.
Typhoid fever is bred in foul cellars and
bad drains. A malarial atmosphere is
created by them, and the human frame is
very susceptible TO its influences. In this
connection I would call attention to the
i, l., L
often so pregnant with disease The in
mates Of the house are so used to the ef1iu-
vium that they do not perceive it, bnt Il
stranger is very soon cogniZant of the dis
agreeable odor arising from this source
Now to make these ''modern improve
ments " of real use, they must receive
weekly attention in the form of disinfec-
tants, and as cOpperas,is the cheapest of all
and the most easily applied. beg of my
readers to purchase it in large quantities.
and not only to keep the crystals in solu-
ton standing in dishes, but also to dissolve
them in us much hot water as will melt
them. and turn it down every aperture in
the plumbing ut least once Il week. If this
is attended to, all malaTial disorders will
soon be driven away by the purer air
Now you may think that your cellar is per-
fectly clean after the roots have been re-
moved and the floor swept up; but take Il
white cloth and wipe down the josts and |
the underpinning, or the ceilings, and see !
for yourself how dirty they are; for be- |
sides the traces of insects and the numer- /
Gus spider-webs, foul air and noxiOus gases |
press against them seeking and finding an
ontr,tuoo to tho rooms above and thov arc
greatly in need of sweeping scrubbing and /
whitewashing. 1t will not be sufficient to .
attend only to the upper wall; the side
walls also require to be cleaned in the same |
manner, for they breed mischief, and the
trouble is that persons are seldom aware of
their founess until disease is upon them.
You need to clean not only the cellar. but
the potato bins-cider barrels and all
wooden utensils should be well brushed
and cleaned, and, if possible, they should
be taken out of the cellar and cleaned,
aired and dried well before being put back
into it. Perhaps this reads like hard work
and you may shrink from undertaking it.
Let me ask you if it is easy work to feel
and drying up your blood? Is it easy work
TO watch beside the sick and dying bed of
the pet of the family the one eve lamb of
the flock? Is it Ca y work to care for the
father or mother of the household till the
last dying sob is breathcd and kindly hands
are summoned to prepare the loved one
for the last sad ceremony? No, it is very j
easy work to clean up the premises, to |
scOur and scrup, compared to
watching. Anxiety and grief are terrible a
which disease brings to us. So S
ct me beg of all my readers to set aside '
some one of these spring days for the rem /
walton of their cellars. Prepare an old t
fashioned birch broom, such as stablemen I
Use, OF splint broom, to scrub with, and L
nave plenty of dry cloths to wipe up all C
he moisture, and leave the cellar as dry h
md as sweet rs possible. Then give it iii il
he fresh air you can-open wide the hatch t.
way every day; leave all the windows open o
light and day; put wire netting across tt
hem, if you have not already got it. Do C;
lot put back the barrels and boxes that 81
ave been used for storing roots-they will is
o better in the barn or woodhouse. when W
on are embarrassing buy some copperas W
ten or twenty pounds at least-and make CT
ne wash as yellow as Il lemon; then apply IL
!, Put it on hot, having dissolved both d
me and copperas in boiling water, and it OF
ill kill all the eggs of spiders, &c. Be 81
des, it is Il good thing to drive away the fl
ats, which seem to have an antipathy to -
lis disinfectant, as they will not remain in al
IL cellar, where it is always used in large OF
Quantities. Scatter the crystals in every h;
Dot where rat could go; put handfulls of m
em in every corner, and upon the hanging tn
ilk shelves. 1t serves to sweeten the air ce
Id keep it sweet all summer. Twenty sh
onnds of copperas, thoroughly applied m
I'll sweeten the foulest cellar Cellars are pr
ten the worst foe families possess, and
1t they are wholly unconscious of it, not
wing the least idea of their noxious in
fences Our motto should be for this Y,
ar, and for every year, Keep clean and 90
ep the heatth.-Daisy Eys6rtgM in Coun- Ga
q Gentleman. tn,
pr