Rock Island Argus., 1917-09-15
NEED Of STORING
CROPS IS POINTED
Department Of Agriculture Tells How
Vegetables Mas Be Successfully
Preserved.
NATURAL METHOD HELD BEST
Cellar Containing q Furnace Too
Warm and Dry for Housing Food
stuffs, Say Experts.

Washington. d. c.. Sept. 15.-Nat-
uraI storage of late vegetables ia the
home for use in fan and winter-a
practice which IS advisable every sea
son-is especially desirable now that
the country is at war. says the United
States department Of agriculture. Nat
uraI storage is the least troublesome
way of keeping food for future use, it
is pointed out. and may be pracuced
wlth little expense in most homes,
either in the country or In the city
Such storage lis OF chief value TO own
ers of home gardens. but when veg
etabIes suitable for storage may be
purchased cheaply it may be prae-
jced pr0dtably by some other house
holders.
The principal vegetables which may
be stored successfully are the root
ruber and bulb crops. such as late
maturing potatoes, carrots, parsnips
turnips, satisfy. onions, etc Certain
leaf and stalk crops such as cabbage
and celery, and d few other products
such as sqUashes, pumpkins etc. also
may he stored naturally
Natural storage of most vegetables
that may be kept may be in cellar
under q dwelling, or under an out
in banks or pits A few products
such as pumpkins and winter squash,
requiring dry. fairly warm storage,
may he kept in uuusUed rooms or
closets. and a few products may be
kept in attics.
Cellar Storage Room.
IF a cellar under . dwelling or out
building rs clean. cool, and well Tenti-
SOD 4 IA
out alteration Many cellars, however.
are nor wei suited for storing Yege-
tables because of poor insulation or
lack Of ventilation, and those contain
ing a furnace for heating usually are
too warm and dry. it is often possible
10 partition OH q room either in one
corner or At one end of such q cellar g.,
where the temperature may be con
trOIIed by means OF outside windows
Outdoor storage cellars possess all
the advantages OF the storage room in
the basement and are superior IN many
respects. It is possible to keep such q
cellar cool ana quickly reduce the
temperature Of the stored products by
opening the door during the night and
closing il In the morning before the
air becomes warm. In regions Of mild
winters the outdoor cellars may be
constructed almost entirely above
ground of wood or other available me-
terials. straw OF dirt may be thrown
upon the roof as insulation during es-
DeciaHv cold periods In regions Of
severe freezing the most popular type
OF storage cellar IS built largely IN
dergrouHd and the roof has deep Gov
ering OF straw and earth, manure, etc.
Such cellars may be constructed of
wood. concrete. stone. or brick
Storage in Pits or Banks.
Storage in outdoor banks or pits is
the most primitive and least expen-
stve method OF keeping many vege-
tables and IS fairly satisfactory where
the ground is WeII-drained This
method does not compare in con
Tentence. however. with storage in
cellars since in periods OF bad weather
the vegetable are often accessible
with difficulty The construction Of
banks is begun by making an excava-
ton s or s inches deep In d we'll
drained location and lining it with
straw. leaves. or similar material. The