The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-11-10

construction is in the interest of health and
economy. Every walk should be provided
with scraper for cleaning the feet, and
there should be \ snow-shovel and broom
for the purpose of keeping them clean. No
farm-houseis the abode of comfort that is
not approached by suitable walks
Winter Storage of Produce
Celery, for keeping we'll in winter, writes
a CORRESPONDENT of The New England Farm
err, should not be bleached too much. That
portion indeed which is TO be used before
Christmas should be banked up early in DC
tOber, so as to come out OF the ridges almost
ripe enough for the table; but if it is desir-
able to keep il later than this, it should be
banked up late in October, so as to come out
of the field rather green.
The pit should be ready to receive its
store of celery the first week in November,
and the celery can be put in any fine day
before the ground freezes; it is usual to have
il all slowed away by November 10, but
sometimes il is left in the field till Thanks
giving. The pit is made by shoyeling out
the surface soil from a space twelve feet in
width, and long enough to hold the required
amount; the earth thrown out is used for
banking around the pit The bank is held
up by placing around the pit 2x12 inch
plank on edge, supported by 1x4 inch
stakes driven in the ground and braced apart
by 2x4 inch joist running across the pit
inside; a ridge pole of 2x4 joist supported by
stakes run along the middle of the pit TO
receive the covering boards, six and half
feet long, which rest at one end on the
ridge pole, at the other upon the edge of
the plank; the ridge pole should be high
enough to give the boards pitch OF about
one foot, so as to shed water in wet weather.
The celery is packed in as thick as it will
stand without crowding; some of the out
side leaves are stripped off before packing
IL, and little earth is thrown upon the
roots with a spade, as each row is placed. Ii
Is necessary to use some care TO keep the
celery from freezing if cold nights occur
while packing progresses. The tender
blanehed stalks are easily spoiled by frost
after taking them out of the ridges When
the pit is full, the covering boards are put in
place and well covered with coarse bog hay,
leaves, or, best of all, with dried eel-grass,
enough to keep out frOst-eight or ten inches
deep after il is we'll settled down, is about
right. The covering must come well down
over the banks so as to keep out frost. If
the pit is kept too close in mild weather the
celery will rot; if aired too much in cold
weather il will be in danger of freezing; a
a little judgment and a good deal of care are
required to keep it well, and comparatively
few succeed in doing it unless they make q
business of il and give it special attention.
When celery is taken from the pit, it may
be kept few days in cool cellar; indeed
a cool and damp cellar will keep it for a
considerable time, but the air of most cellars
are too dry for the purpose.
The enormous crop of apples and the price
of empty barrels, at the present time, are
forcing many farmers TO store their apples
in bins The bins should be raised little
from the cellar floor. and the boards have a
little space between them for the passage of
air. The apples may be safely piled four or
five feet deep, and will need no covering.
The cellar should be as cold as possible
without freezing; little frost even will do
no harm, but the mercury should not fall
below twenty-eight degrees. If the apples
should chance to get frozen, let them alone
till the frost comes out; handling while
frozen is not good for them.
The difference in the quality of apples in
orchards that have been well cared for and
such as have been neglected was strikingly
illustrated in the case of two which | re-
Gently picked. The apples from the orchard
which had been pruned and cultivated
were very large and fine, many being nearly
pound in weight. yielding only one barrel
of No = apples to nine of No. 1. The neg
lected orchard yielded one barrel of No.
to every two of No 1, and the labor of pick
ing and asserting was more than double,
owing to their inferior size.
Inc only Things necessary 10 keep caDOage
are, a dry place to make the pit and sutfi-
cient covering of suitable sort. The cab
bages are taken up early in November and
planted as thickly as they will stand in the
furrow of a small pillow, two slices are then
turned upon the roots with the pillow, and
another row planted in the furrow thus
opened; this is to be continued until they
are all planted and then tw0slices thrown
up against the bed all around so as to turn
off surface water; the covering should be
meadow sedge, straw or leaves or both; it
should be about four or six inches deep after
it is we'll settled down, more than this will
heat and rot the cabbages; less will endanger
their freezing in severe weather. 1t is a
good plan to cover lightly at first, and to in
crease the covering as the weather becomes
more severe. Cabbages only loosely headed
are best for keeping, since they will grow
under the covering, and come out great
deal harder than when put up. Hard heads
are more apt to burst and rot.