The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-04
THE CELLAR.
1t Must be Always Kept Clean and in Thor
ough Repair.

THE CELLAR.
1t Must be Always Kept Clean and in Thor
ough Repair.
A little time spent in cleaning up and
repairing the cellar where the fruit and
vegetables are to be kept will pay ex-
cellently well. 1t is often the case that
the cellar is in bad condition, and we
do not refer especially now to its bad
construction, but to its repairs. Unless
it is in thorough repair it should be at
tended to at once. 1t should be thor
oughly cleaned. The rat holes should
be stopped with mortar and fine glass.
The walls should be whitewashed. 1t
may be well to mention here that it is
said that lime and copperas will drive
the rats away, and some suggest that
the walls be whitewashed with the mix
tuTe. Do whatever can be done to drive
these pests away, and keep them from
fruit and vegetables. They are a great
nuisance, destroying a great deal, and
rendering great deal more pretty
nearly unfit to eat. Many of us do
not give as much attention to such
things as their Importance demands.
We suffer rats about the premises when,
perhaps, by a little effort, we could
get rid of them. We at least permit
them to get into places which we might
keep them out of, even if we can not
wholly clear farm of them. The fruit
and vegetable cellar ought to be a
cleanly place. 1t ought also to be
thoroughly ventilated, not only for the
good of the fruit and vegetables, but
also for the health of the inmates of the
houses above. The gases and the damp
ness which gather in an ill-ventilated
cellar find their way to a greater or less
extent all through the house.
1t ought not to be said by any one
that he has no time or facilities for cor
recting any of the evils that lurk about
a cellar. Take time. Go into the
place and look it over carefully. Re-
move the barrels, or whatever else may
be in it, so that good view can be had
of it, and after the view is taken
and the necessities appear. meet them.
Get the whitewash and place it on the
walls. Stop up the holes. Ventilate
the best you can under the circum-
stances, and perfectly if that is posi-
BILE. FirSt-class ventilation in a cellar
is money in the pocket of anybody who
keeps anything perishable in it. 1t
ought to be reasonably dry, for either
fruit or vegetables. And the cellar in
which vegetables and fruit are stored
should not be. used as a milk cellar.
There will always be more or less decay
among the fruit and vegetables, and the
milk, cream and butter will be affected.
Care should be taken to keep these as
free from decay as possible, and to this
end, whenever decay shows itself, remove
the affected apple or vegetable if it
is seen. When possible an occasional
sorting will be good. The Germantown
Telegraph says of keeping apples, that
all apples should be hand picked, and
with so much care as to avoid all bruis-
ing, and sorted over for all defective
ones-and those are defective and liable
to rot early which have any portion OF
the skin removed or contain any evil
dence of the operation or presence of
worm. Pack in dry flour barrels. put in
the head, pressing down the same firmly |
on the fruit, and place them in a per:
fectly dry shed or clubhouse. until there |
is danger of freezing, when the barely
should be removed to dry cellar, and |
the fruit taken out and laid upon an
elevated scaffold or shelves, spread out |
,ingly, which will admit of the stock |
being overhauled, the decayed ones and |
hose threatening decay being at once |
The temperature of the cellar |
should be between thirty-five and fifty
i've degrees; and where there is any
excess of dampness let the boards on /
which the apples are placed be literally
'prinkled with fine lime. In sorting
over the apples on all occasions, great J
are must be observed to avoid bruising
,r injury of any kind.
Another way. This is a ''cave" OF
'ather vault, running from the cellar
vail into the solid earth outside. with
lOle in the center, where a three-nch
,ipe is run down to the sand or loose
.arth. and the dirt floor inclining from
ii points TO carry away every drop o.
vater, thus keeping the apartment dry,
lied with lattice shelves, with six
nch wired air vent connected with the
outside, and with close entrance door
lso with a good coating of lime cover
NO the entire bottom, in case of neces
ity from dampness, as before stated
This is, of course, with more expense ir
he first instance. but once prepared II
Till last for generations, and is perhaps
he very best method of keeping apples
,ears, etc.-Western Rural