Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-01
The Farm. House Cellar,

storage and self-keeping of vegetables,
cured meats, butter, often cream and
milk, fresh and canned fruits. as we'll
as sundry and various other articles
used in the family.
1t will readily be seen that in brino-
ing together such varieties OF materials
OF different character, each either giving
on or absorbing odors, thorough venti-
latlon is OF the utmost importance, vet
1t IS one OF the things apparently re-
celvlng the least thought or attention.
During the summer and so long as the
weather remains warm, open windows
allowing a circulation OF air through
the cellar afford a fair degree of %ventila-
tlon. But with the advent of cold
weather. when the cellar is perhaps
1llled to its full capacity with vegetables
and fruits, the windows have to be
closed and the cellar banked up to ex-
clude the frost. 1t is Theoretically
sealed on five of it's six dimensions,
shut Oft from any introduction of fresh
air from outside, and with no escape
for the gases generated bv decavipp
vegetables and vegetable odors except
into the living rooms above. where their
presence, though not always noticed
by the sense of smell, not unfrequently
vindicate their potency in bringing
down one or more members of the
family withtyphoid fever, diphtheria, or
other poison disease. Such conditions
as described above, while not to be
found in all farm-houses, still exist in
far too many, and should be remedied
in all cases where they do exist. Their
remedy does not necessitatc any great
expenditure OF money or complex con-
trivances for such q system OF yentila-
ton as will render the cellar not only
harmless, but inoffensive to those who
occupy the living rooms above.
First, the cellar should be de-
prived of all excessive moisture by a
drain which will prevent water from
ever standing upon it's bottom-a tile
drain running across it a few inches be-
low the bottom, and extending outside
to a proper discharge, will remedy this
defect whenever it exists. The cellar
should in all cases be divided into two
rooms, so that milk, cream. butter, OF
other products Which absorb disagreea.
bleodors, will not be exposed to those
arising from vegetables such as onions.
cabbages. turnips and the like, whose pc.
culiar odors are all ri light in their place,
but not Just the thing for milk, cream
or butter. A mouldy, musty smell ID
apt to pervade the cellar, due to excess
sive moisture and insufficient vetilation.
This can be removed by liberal applica-
tions of lime wash applied to the walls
and ceiling, which should have such an
application at least twice a year. But
some method of ventilation, by which
the foul, stagnant o~dor-charged air can
be removed and its place supplied by
that which is pure and sweet, is of the
utmost Importance, and this is not a
difficult thing to provide. If a chimney
starts from the bottom of the cellar with
a n opening in the cellar, this furnishes
the e for the up draught, since the
heat passing into it from the stoves in
the rooms above creates a constant
draft, which will continually change the
air of the cellar, provided air is let in to
supply its place. In the absence of such
a chimney in the cellar, it's place can be
supplied by a pipe reaching up through
the floor and connecting either with a
chimney above or a pipe of n of the
stoves. If the cellar is under the kitch-
en-, the pipe a pass up directly inrear
of the cook stove and connect with its
pipe by a 7 joint. Still another method
is to have a pipe pass out through
the wall just below the sill and
extend up the outside of the house to
the height of the roof. 1t can be u
up on the real of the house or in an an
gle, SO as not to be unsightly. Its top
should have a bonnet to keep out the
snow and slcet, and its bottom end
should be carried down at least half
way to the bottom of the cellar and
have a funnelshaped mouth. One four
inches in diameter would probably be
large enough. Galvanized iron would
be the best material, though roofing tin
would last a good many years, and
would not cost so much. Each of these
methods requires some plan for admit
ting pure air, otherwise a circulation
can not be kept up. In the summer
this will be supplied by the windows,
which are either left open or protected
by wire-screens. But in winter these
are closed up, and there is needed some
means OF admitting air in sufficient, but
not excessive quantities, which will be
at all times under control. A three
inch tile running through the wall Just
under the sill on each OF the four sides
of the cellar will cheaply supply this
want. With a stopper to fit their bore,
they can be opened or closed at pleas
ure, aud while the up-draft-pipe or
chimney takes out the foul od~or-charged
air as much or little Of the pure outside
air as is desired can be admitted to take
its place, and thus keep up the c%ircula-
ton. A cellar so protected would be
robbed OF all danger to those living
above, and if some such plan were in
universal use in every dwelling-house
we should hear of fewer mysterious
dispensations Of Providence" by which
members of families come to an I'M
timely death, when the real cause Of
their taking off was the. fact of living
over a foul, unventilated cellar, which
was nothing more or less than a death
trap to them.-Furmers' RevieW.
"A Delton (Tex.) druggist has a pet