The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-12-14
u IN CELLARS,

A correspondent Of the Neu ENGLAND
Farmer has the following advice to offer
on the subject of the storage of fruit in
cellars: When the late apples and pears
are first gathered they are hard and inedi-
bic, but soon after they are stored away
important changes take place in them.
They become mellow and juicy, the change
taking place slowly or rapidly according
to the temperature of the place where the
fruit is kept. For the sake of the fruit it
is desirable that the change should take
place slowly, for the fruit thus ripened al
ways proves superior to that whose mat
urity has been forced by a warmer temper
allure. The warmer the room, the faster
will the apples and pears ripen, and for this
reason it is desirable that the temperature
should be kept at only a few degrees above
the freezing point.
As the fruit ripens one of the most i'm
portant changes that will take place is the
absorption of oxygen from the air and the
giving out of earbonic acid gas. This
change is SO important and SO detrimental
to the health of those living in the same
house, that if allowed to go on it will
in time very likely cause severe illness. If
a room is used only for the storage of ap-
pies, and the place kept perfectly closed,
the carbonic acid gas that will be given out
in a short time will be sufficient to extin-
guish the flame of a lamp when carried in
RI the rnOpo opd 60 porr0p .e1a,,IJ I.an ~.
the air long enoughdeath would inevitably
result. The gas taken in large quantities
is a poison, and even in partly closed rooms
where fruit is stored, severe headaches and
other unpleasant feelings are produced by
breathing the impure air.
1t is a common practice to store large
quantities of fruit in the cellar of the dwell
ing-house, and a great deal of discomfort
and unpleasantness are caused thereby, the
source of which is not suspected. Farm
ers who make a scientific and intelligent
study of their surroundings rave detached
cellars, or those under some ou~t-building,
where the fruit is stored. Where large
quantities are kept a pit is dug in the earth
below the frostline, and some of the later
pears and apples buried there with straw
until February or March. This is a good
practice with those who can afford the
space and time for the work; but many
have to keep the fruit in the house cellar,
if they keep it at all. To them a few hints
may be The means of preventing much dis
comfort and even sickness in the family.
During the month of February stored
fruit ripens more rapidly than earlier in the
year, and more of the poisonous carbonic
acid gas is given off as a result. This gas
must not be allowed to permeate the
dwelling-house; it must be turned off in
some other channel. If there is no chance
to communicate the cellar with the Chin
ney and a f1ue thus opened, tue poisonous
exhalation must be carried AWAY by thor
ough ventilation. If the fue can be OPEN
at all times, and the poison will be readily
removed from the building; but if this is
impossible the door and windows of the
cellar should be opened on every mild day.
A thermometer should be kept hanging in
the store room or cellar, and when the
mercury is four or five degrees above the
freezing point, ventilate freely, taking
care to shut up before the temperature falls.
To do all this will require considerable
w~atchfulness and labor, but when we con-
slider that it is a question of health or un-
healthfnlness there can be but little doubt
that few will object to doing it. Whenever
possible fruit should be stored in cellars
away from the dwelling house, as it was
never meant to be kept in the latter place.