The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-11-12

often left too long on the vines and
subjected to severe frosts. Even if
not quite ripe it is best to gather them
(f the vines are thick it is generally
safe to risk one fros0 and place them !
in some sunny spot where they can be
covered at night. When freezing
weather comes they should be carried
to the house, and, unlike most of the
other vegetables, should be placed in
the warmest and driest place at hand.
If one has furnace and the squashes
are packed around it, there will be lit
tie danger of their not keeping, even if
no more than half grown.
The sweet potato is another vegetable
that does not Withstand low tempera
ture. They can often be bought cheaply
In the fall and can be preserved, if
packed in boxes, between layers of dry
leaves and kept where the temperature
does not fall much below 80 degrees.
1t is generally thought that there is
some secret about the keeping of celery
as well as in raising it. There will be
no trouble in keeping it if it is placed
in a room where the temperature
ranges from IS to 45 degrees, and if it
is supplied with sufficient moisture to
prevent whiting. It should have been
blanched while growing in the garden,
and should be placed in the cellar about
the tenth of November. For family
use it may be packed in boxes or in
half barrels, or other small receptacles
that are little deeper than the plants
are high. Three or four inches of soil
should be placed in the bottom. and the
celery should then be packed in yer
tically, about as thick as it will stand,
the soil be pressed firmly about the
roots. If a large quantity is to be
stored, it may be picked in the same
way between boards placed on edge
about twelve inches apart; but fully as
good results will be obtained if it is
packed in trenches in the open ground
and covered so as to keep out the frost.
AS soon as packed, if kept in the house,
it will be'necessary to wet the soil
about the roots, and at intervals during
the winter, when it is found to be get
ting dry, the application should be re-
peated. In doing this care should be
taken not to wet the stalks, as it is
likely to cause them to rot. The water
can be poured in from watering pot
through a short piece of tin or iron
pipe, or a short hose may be attached
to the end of the spout Some have
found small drain tile tiles inserted at
intervals among the plants good for
this purpose.
Cabbages and potatoes are too com,
monty wintered to require much at,
tention here. The former should be
put away with the outer leaves and
stems attached to the heads. They
will keep if left in thin layers in
almost any way, in cool room, but if
placed in such a position that the roots
can be covered with dry sand, they
will be less likely to shrivel and lose
their outer leaves. If many are to be
wintered over for spring use, it will be
best to select some well drained spot
out of doors and place them with their
stems up, in furrOws close enough to-
gether so that, when one has been filed
with cabbages, the heads will be COW
cred with soil when the next furrow is
turned. When freezing weather comes
they should be covered with three OF
four inches of light litter. They are
most likely to be injured from alternate
freezing and thaWing. Potatoes keep
best in a moderately dry room at a
temperature of from 35 to As degrees,
but if kept dry will not suffer, except
from shrivelling, even if the tempera-
ture reaches much higher.-Prof. L. r.
Taft, in American Agriculturalist.
HORTICULTURE